CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

THE THERMAL CLUB INDYCAR GRAND PRIX

THE THERMAL CLUB

THERMAL, CALIFORNIA

TEAM CHEVY RACE QUALIFYING RECAP

MARCH 22, 2025

PATO O’WARD WINS POLE WITH TEAMMATE CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD ALONG SIDE

·   Pato O’Ward blasted to his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole since Mid-Ohio in 2022

o  It is O’Ward’s sixth career NTT Pole Award, all behind the wheel of an Arrow McLaren Chevy

·       It is the second consecutive pole for Chevrolet in 2025

o  Scott McLaughlin won the pole for the Streets of St. Petersburg

·       Today’s second place qualifying result for Christian Lundgaard is his fifth career front row start, and his first with Chevrolet power

·       Alexander Rossi in only his second race in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet was the third member of Team Chevy in the Firestone Fast Six

o  Rossi will roll off sixth on Sunday

·       Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, missed the Fast 12 by only two-thousandths of a second

·       Chevrolet has 137 earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 141 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather.

 The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix Sunday race day opens with a warm-up session on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET. The 65-lap, 199.36-mile main event takes the green flag live with new NTT INDYCAR SERIES partner FOX on Sunday live at 3 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying sessions broadcast with INDYCAR 

Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified 17^th: 

“We just weren’t quick. All of us didn’t look fantastic in our group. I mean I think if you’re saying you need three-, four-tenths, I think we could’ve put that together on the red tire. I had some traffic at the end of my run. I don’t know who it was, I think it was probably (Rinus) VeeKay. It was probably a tenth or two in that final sector. And then dropped a little time personally in turn nine. I think I could see getting a transfer spot out of that, just maybe losing sort of the major speed that we’re going to need. I felt really good going into qualifying. I thought our car was in a good window. Obviously, we’re going to have to find some speed for tomorrow now, but we can always make something happen. I always feel good with Team Penske. Always lookout for the PPG Chevy, we can go to the front.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified, 25^th:

“Honestly, I felt like the car was okay. It was just hard to get a read without doing that first run. That’s pretty much on me. Obviously, the whole team is struggling a little bit. It’s surprising because we actually felt pretty good. We’ll fight any way we’ve got and the XPEL Chevy will be at the front tomorrow.” 

David Malukas, No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, Qualified, 12^th:

“It was good run for us. I mean, we were struggling in the practice sessions to find the setup where we wanted to be but we did a really good job estimating on what it needed for the alternates. Obviously, we committed to just go alternates and use both of them in that first round because the pace didn’t really seem there. It all worked out because the second set, somebody dropped a wheel and ruined everybody’s lap, so we still got that first lap in. So, let’s just say it’s a good day from what has been a tough weekend for us trying to find the setup. The race is going to be a primary tire race, so we need to make sure that we can get the No. 4 Chevrolet where it needs to be for the primaries.” 

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Qualified POLE:

“Just seeing where we were here last year, the team has done a great job with bringing a car that’s more consistent, faster, and we’ve definitely brought some performance. So, super stoked to see it. We’ve locked our front row so great job to Christian (Lundgaard) as well. He’s been quick, so we’ll see what tomorrow holds. It’ll be a hectic race with the tires deg and I think we’re going to be thanking our strategy if we have a good race. We weren’t so happy with the overnight changes so we kind of fell back to where we started the weekend. The car is in the window for sure. Maybe not for Q1 so much, but we dialed it in and we got it done.”

Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Qualified, 16th:

“Honestly, I feel like all weekend the execution has been alright on all of our laps and all of our runs. Just been lacking a bit, so I don’t really know. I felt like it was a pretty solid run and a solid lap, and it felt good enough that if you told me we were up at the top, I would believe you. So, a little confused, but I think our race pace will be better. We could be worse, we certainly hoped we’d be better but this is where we’re at.”

Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Qualified 2^nd:

“Throughout qualifying, I think I”m pretty happy. Obviously bummed to get second over first. I think we had a car to be on pole. I think we proved that as a team. Front row lockout, we’re just apparently copy and paste what the F1 team is doing.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, Qualified, 21^st:

“We had been quick in every single session until that red tire run then. Just didn’t start the first lap on them well so I aborted it. Then, you’ve used them a little bit and there’s only one lap you’ve got. I was, man, surprised. I mean, I gave up three-tenths on the first corner of the start of the lap, so that is on me there. It’s the not the seconds we’re looking for like (Alex) Palou did. It’s not even fathomable for us to get to that lap time, but the top-six maybe if we’re lucky.”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, Qualified, 14^th: 

“It was a solid run. I think we did a really good job as a team. I just had a couple mistakes in the lap, which add up to a little bit, so we should have advanced but it was a good learning curve. Feel good about the Sexton Properties Chevrolet going into tomorrow. Good to pass some people and come home with a top five.” 

Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Qualified :

“It was a good session for the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet. It’s been a struggle throughout the weekend. We had delays with getting laps in because of some hybrid issues, but we finally had a smooth session and were able to qualify in the Fast 6. That’s the potential we have had, but there is still work to do as we switch into race mode. It’s a good start to what will hopefully be a strong Sunday for us tomorrow!”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, Qualified 19^th:

“That was not the qualifying we were hoping for. We are starting the weekends super well, but are struggling to level up as much as we need to session to session. We will see what happens, it’s a long race tomorrow and tire deg is going to be a huge thing. If we can manage that, we have a good chance for a decent result. I would just love to start farther up, especially after a couple of practice sessions where we had good pace. Just a little frustrated!”

Conor Daly, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, Qualified, 15^th :

“Really happy with the progress we made today. I think we had almost nailed the perfect lap, and the tires might’ve just fallen out of the window on the last corner and I made a small mistake which cost us the transfer. Tough. My bad on that one for sure, but the team gave me a great car to fight for the transfer spot. To start P15 here at a track I haven’t been at in a long time, it feels really good. It’s going to be a tough race, but thankful for the progress we made and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Sting Ray, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, Qualified 24^th:

“Qualifying was fairly disappointing. I think we had a lot more ability than what we showed. Unfortunately didn’t put a lap together and just missed it. It’s a really tight field, so that means little mistakes take care of a lot of positions. Unfortunately we’ll start from the back. I think we’ve got a decent car on reds, We’ll race forward and I think that we will do well.”

Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Chevrolet, Qualified 27^th:

“This weekend so far has been extremely bad as we did not complete any laps in Free Practice. The team did an incredible effort overnight to build a new car but with the very limited running it was very unbalanced as a result. For my first push lap, it felt okay until Turn Four but then, I just locked up and the tires were already gone. I thought with the second set I could try to improve something to try to change the car balance a bit, but then I had a drive-through, so I didn’t manage to put in a final lap. It is unbelievable how unlucky we have been so far this season.”

Callum Ilott, No. 90 PREMA Chevrolet, Qualified, 22^nd:

It was not the not the best session. We weren’t in the right balance when I was out on the Primaries and tried to make it better for the Alternates, but it wasn’t perfect and just couldn’t quite get it together. We still have a lot to learn from everything so far this weekend. It’s very hot and it doesn’t make it easy for us, but this race with the heat and tire degradation there’s probably quite a lot of room to move forwards. But we will have to work overnight and see on race day.”

NTT INDYCAR SERIES News Conference

Saturday, March 22, 2025

Pato O’Ward

Christian Lundgaard

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Once again, good afternoon, everyone.

Celebrating front row for tomorrow’s Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix, we have an all McLaren front row. Christian Lundgaard, who will start 2nd, is on his way.

Joined now though by Pato O’Ward, driving the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. This first NTT P1 Award since Mid-Ohio in 2022, sixth career pole, also the first McLaren pole since Felix Rosenqvist did that in 2023 at Laguna Seca.

Congratulations. Big step towards what could be a very big weekend for you.

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, glad to be back here. Glad to be back here towards the front of the field. Great job by the guys and gals in our McLaren Team Chevy. Team Chevy lockout along with our McLaren lockout.

Super pumped. Really happy with how we turned things around. I would say we didn’t start the day amazing. Q1 was kind of getting there. We just made a bit of an adjustment, and it just brought the car alive in Q2. It felt good.

THE MODERATOR: How on edge are these cars on this track?

PATO O’WARD: Not a lot. You used to have them a lot on the edge without the hybrid, but with all this weight in the rear, they just plow like pigs really.

THE MODERATOR: Technical term.

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, it’s a bit of a shame because they feel like they can go a lot faster, but we can’t really get them there to that edge where maybe I have put it in the past.

Yeah, happy with today.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.

Obviously, Christian Lundgaard will complete the front row in tomorrow’s race, driving the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, first front row start since the NDGP last year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Your thoughts on an all front row, all McLaren front row for tomorrow, Christian?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: We’re just trying to copy what they do in Formula 1.

No, I think it’s great. We had the pace all weekend, and we didn’t quite get to show it in Practice 1. I certainly think we showed it earlier today.

It’s just important to be there when it counts, and we were today. Let’s keep that momentum going forward.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.

Q. Pato and Christian, I’m going to say what won you the pole was how close you were on used Reds, how fast you were on the new Reds. You were only a tenth difference, Pato, I think, on your used Reds between what you run on new Reds. Was that something you guys concentrated on, or did you do something different?

PATO O’WARD: We were exploring. It’s a very tough surface on the tire, a very sensitive to temperature. So you have to get it in the window. You can’t get too greedy with it.

I mean, I would say it’s not the first time that we — going out on that set of tires that I had, I had done one flier, and that was basically the one I went on in Q3. So wasn’t very different to what I did maybe in Q1, having two laps on the Reds. They held up a lot better than I thought really.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Yeah, I thought the alternate tires are going to be better than I think we expected going into the weekend.

But I always find, when you go into the Firestone Fast Six, you expect a slight drop-off on the alternate, but I always feel like you’re able to either match or potentially go a little faster, and I think we saw that today. So I think that’s a sign for tomorrow too.

THE MODERATOR: Just confirming this is the first front row sweep for Arrow McLaren since during the Series ahead of the 2020 season. Previous best was a first and third place start at Texas in 2023.

Q. For both of you, how much tire wear are you seeing on the alternates? Do you think — I mean, could this be — would the alternates be the primaries tomorrow by any chance?

PATO O’WARD: No one’s run them long enough, like just there’s no data on continuous laps. There’s just kind of one flier here, one flier there.

I think warmup might be able to tell us a little bit more, but it’s also going to be like 40 degrees cooler. I think we’re just in for a show in the race.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I think ultimately I agree with what Pato is saying. I think — personally, I don’t think it’s going to be as big of a drop-off as we expected going into the race weekend leaving St. Petersburg.

Again, we don’t have much data on it, so it’s going to be interesting. I think all options are open for tomorrow.

Q. For Pato, they looked at several — you know, seeing if people were impeding others. They looked at Alex and whether he impeded you. They said no issue. Alex said that he was going as fast as he could on the tires that he had. Is tomorrow going to be any different as far as just with drivers are on different tires, just how much you’re catching them and how you’re going to get past them?

PATO O’WARD: I don’t know why I feel like it’s going to be like an Old Iowa. I know Iowa is a short oval and this is a road course, but I think tomorrow is going to be very reminiscent of what Old Iowa was, just a lot of different strategies. You’re probably not going to know where you are. You might know what place you’re in at the moment, but there’s going to be like multiple, different strategies going.

I think we’re in for a treat tomorrow, yeah, and it’s going to deg. You can expect that.

Q. Question for both of you guys, Pato to start. Pato, I know over your — what, this is your sixth year at Arrow McLaren. There have been times where your teammates have been able to push you either in qualifying or races, but I know this is the big topic of conversation with signing Christian as the hope that he can really push you and challenge you and you guys can advance to the top of the grid together. In these two race weekends, what have you experienced with him as your teammate, and how do you feel like you guys are helping elevate each other?

PATO O’WARD: I think it’s been great, whether he believes me or not. I strive to be better, and I really hope that everybody on the team also is in that same attitude because, yeah, okay, it’s fine to be the lead car or whatever, but it’s always good to have that benchmark.

Whenever maybe you’re not the best, you can always kind of look over and be like, hey, the car can do this. So let’s go out and explore.

I’m happy to have strong teammates, and I’m happy to have people that are very fast, and that’s just going to make me better. It’s going to make the whole team better.

We need multiple cars — like we need team cars to be at the front. We can’t just have one that’s fighting up there. All three Penskes are always fighting at the front. All four Ganassis are always at the front. I know there’s only right now two Ganassis that are usually at the front, but the Shanks count.

It’s what we need in INDYCAR, like every weekend is stronger, and some guys can be a surprise. I think we’ve been a surprise this weekend. So I think we’re in good shape, and we’re pushing forward. We want to beat the big guys. We’re still the underdogs.

Q. Christian, I know when you talked a little bit last summer about this move from RLL to Arrow McLaren, part of your thought process you mentioned was your ability to more consistently be fighting at the front. These first two race weekends that you’ve had, you led the team in qualifying in the race at St. Pete and starting on the front row. What are you enjoying about these first couple weekends with this new team?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Well, I’m 2 for 2 in the Fast Six, so that helps. I think ultimately the work leading into the weekend, I think, is a similar but more detailed process. I feel like I show up in a race weekend more prepared. I show up with a lot more hope in a sense.

I think as Pato mentioned, it drives me more as well knowing that we’ll be hopefully two cars fighting, and then we can push each other. Previously I think that’s only been on occasions, where I feel like that’s going to be more consistent now.

I think we’re just both going to be better at the end of the season. We’re going to evolve each other and develop each other.

Q. I know that wasn’t every single weekend, but more often than not in your couple years at RLL, you were the car out front in qualifying and race pace. What does having someone who’s either neck-and-neck with you or at times after sessions a little bit ahead of you, what does that do for you and how it drives you to maybe just execute and get a little bit more out of yourself on the pace?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: You basically just said it. You want to beat your teammates. It’s as simple as that. I want to beat Pato as much as he wants to beat me. It’s very simple. I think it drives you to work harder, physically, mentally on track, do more for it at the end of the day and go into deeper detail.

Obviously we’re studying each other’s data, which in the past I’ve studied my own data. I have a lot more information now than I’ve had previously.

Q. First, for Pato, can you talk a little bit about the challenge? I noticed some parts of the track you’re using the curbing quite a bit and others you’re staying off of it. Can you talk about how you work with your engineers? Obviously you’ve got a good setup to make it happen, but the compromise between your driving and what they want to do and what they want you to do and vice versa.

PATO O’WARD: Obviously the team is kind of just do what you want. These cars are tanks, like you can really get on the curb. Does it ride some of the curbs very well? Depends which one. Some of them horrible, some of them it’s very usable.

Like I think a perfect example is Turn 4, where some cars are using it more than others. For me I’ve liked using it. But I think it’s just — it all depends on car placement. Where are you having the car? Where is the car living in terms of is it nosy, is it not? So you can use it to your advantage a lot of the times. But some of the times you get it wrong, and you’re out to lunch.

I think you’ll see just very different lines, as you probably saw in qualifying. It really depends on comfort, I would say, driving-wise.

I mean, I wouldn’t say like Christian’s lap and my lap are identical in curb usage and everything, and it’s pretty much the same car. So it’s definitely more of a driver preference rather than what car you’re in, I would say.

Q. Then for Christian as a follow-up, this morning we talked about going through the Esses, and you said it’s a little bit sketchy in there. It may still be sketchy, but how does it feel now after qualifying? How did your car change for that?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: If I’m going to be honest, I think it’s just made the car — after the hybrid, it’s just made the car a lot harder to drive through there. It’s less pleasant, I would say. The weight just hurts it in that regard.

But as the rubber is being put down, the track gets better. We’re on lower fuel, softer tires, it all kind of comes together.

So at the end of the day when you’re going through there, you have the balance you have, and you’ve just got to hold on to it.

Q. It’s a big day for TK being in charge of the operations as the sporting director. How can you guys describe how important that is to the team and how important that is for him?

PATO O’WARD: You’re making him look so good (laughter).

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: He needs to buy us dinner.

PATO O’WARD: Yes. No, I mean, I feel like I’ve answered this question 10 times, 20 times, 30 times, 50 times. He’s a great addition. We like having him around. He brings a racer mentality, and that’s what’s pushing the team forward along with us.

Q. Does that come with making you guys feel a little more relaxed than maybe you felt previously?

PATO O’WARD: No, I wouldn’t say so.

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: The goal is the same.

PATO O’WARD: Yeah, the goal has always been the same.

Q. And for you, Christian, the fact that you’re over here, how much do you feel like you’re a thoroughbred getting ready to get set free?

PATO O’WARD: A what?

Q. A thoroughbred horse, thoroughbred, getting to run wild.

PATO O’WARD: Young hungry horse you are, huh?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: Apparently. I mean, I want to win, and that’s really it.

Q. Sorry, two questions again. Pato, first of all, congratulations. The first question is technical. You just mentioned adjustment for qualifying. Are there also plans for yourself to make adjustments for tomorrow’s race? Question number two is a business question. In case you will not know it, you have quite a big fan base in Ireland. Considering your name, the people think you are Irish. When I walked in today in the morning, I saw you have a big merchandising trailer. Is there any plan to sell your merchandise and stuff also in Europe, especially in Ireland?

PATO O’WARD: I will do the business one first, and then I’m going to ask you what you asked on the first one.

O’Ward is definitely Irish. I definitely have roots going back to Ireland, but it’s a long time ago. Pato shop is all in-house, like we need more manpower right now. We’re kind of maxed out with how well it’s been going, which is a good problem to have.

Yeah, I don’t have too big of an operation to kind of start having stuff in Europe and stuff. I would love to, but I think for now it’s going to be just shipments to Europe rather than having something over there, but I would love to in the future.

And to your first question, can you please repeat?

Q. Are you planning yourself, crew chief, mechanic, engineer, whoever, to make more adjustments to make the car quicker for tomorrow’s race?

PATO O’WARD: Warmup is going to be really cold compared to where the race is going to be. I think P1 was the best session to kind of show us what the race is going to be like. I think we’re expecting deg. Is it going to be a three stop? Is it going to be a four stop? I think there’s also a lot of learning we’re not going to be able to do in warmup just because of the temperatures.

I would assume we’re probably doing some adjustments, but I don’t think we have a very clear direction of knowing exactly where the car’s going to go because, if I’m not mistaken, I think we’ve only done like in practice we did like 10 laps in each. Like you did maybe 8 yesterday or 10?

CHRISTIAN LUNDGAARD: I think close to the entire weekend I’ve done 30 laps.

PATO O’WARD: I don’t think we’ve done more — we’ve done maybe a little bit more than a stint, like it’s not a lot of laps. I think it’s still a big question.

THE MODERATOR: Christian, we’ll let you go. Congratulations. See you in the front row tomorrow.

Pato, one more question before we cut you loose.

Q. Pato, let me read you a quote here from, I think Monday, from Pato O’Ward.

PATO O’WARD: Hot dog.

Q. Just qualifying has been a struggle for me, even last year, and I don’t know why. I can’t quite pinpoint why I’ve struggled so much. What the hell did you figure out in the last four or five days, my guy?

PATO O’WARD: Maybe I figured out how to drive quickly again, I don’t know.

It’s been a struggle because Mid-Ohio was the first race that we did with the hybrid, and it was great for me. But all the ones after that, you can’t take the car, or at least I can’t, where I used to have it, and it was — I mean, you guys can probably see it in the onboards. It was a car that was very on the edge. It was very just right there where it was almost too much, but I could make it work without a doubt in qualifying.

Even if it was just one lap, even if we didn’t quite have the pace, I knew I could take it there and extract the lap time that truly wasn’t available for it.

The problem now is with this hybrid is we’ve got so much more weight and the car is a lot lazier and it just can’t do that anymore. It’s been a bit of an adjustment because, when you’re — I’ve had to change my driving style, I would say, or the approach to how you extract lap time from the car is very different now because you can’t have it strong at the front. It’s a snowball effect.

I would say I just really focused this weekend, like why was I fast in Mid-Ohio and why was I slow in the majority of the other road courses? I didn’t feel like I was qualifying the car for some reason, just I didn’t feel in one with it.

We figured it out obviously this weekend, which has been great. I think this is a great base moving forward to kind of know what I need from the car. So I’m definitely very happy. Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. We’ll see you tomorrow. Pato O’Ward, the pole winner for tomorrow’s race.

March 22, 2025 — THERMAL, CA

• Alex Palou leads Honda drivers in NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying from The Thermal Club with third-place result
• Colton Herta qualifies P4, locking out the second row for Honda
• Eight Hondas qualify in the top 12

Race winner last time out and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou led the way for Honda in qualifying for the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix, putting his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda third on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

Palou’s third-place time was just 0.088 ahead of Colton Herta, who makes it an all-Honda second row on the grid. Herta’s Andretti Global teammate Marcus Ericsson rounds out the top five. 

Honda transferred eight cars into the Fast Twelve round of qualifying, with Marcus Armstrong (P7), Kyle Kirkwood (P8), Felix Rosenqvist (P9) and Scott Dixon (P11) all making it through to the second round. Also advancing was rookie Louis Foster in his second-ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES race. The 2024 INDY NXT champion will roll off an impressive 10th tomorrow for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.

The Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix Honda Qualifying Results

•  3rd Alex Palou  
•  4th Colton Herta   
•  5th Marcus Ericsson  
•  7th Marcus Armstrong
•  8th Kyle Kirkwood
•  9th Felix Rosenqvist 
•  10th Louis Foster-R
•  11th Scott Dixon      
•  13th Rinus VeeKay   
•  18th Graham Rahal 
•  20th Kyffin Simpson 
•  23rd Jacob Abel-R  
•  26th Devlin DeFrancesco   

Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Andretti Global Honda
Andretti Global Honda
Meyer Shank Racing Honda
Andretti Global Honda
Meyer Shank Racing Honda
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda

R – Rookie

Quotes

Alex Palou (#10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) qualified third: “Our #10 DHL Honda car has been amazing all weekend, honestly. We were super fast in the practices, Q1 and Q2—and even in the Firestone Fast Six. We just missed the front row by a little bit. Those McLaren cars were really fast on used alternate tires and that’s where we lacked a little bit. But, I’m super happy. It’s my first Fast Six of the season. I felt that we also had a fast car at St. Pete, we just didn’t capitalize on qualifying, but here we did. Good starting position and hopefully we can win from there.”

Colton Herta (#26 Andretti Global Honda) qualified fourth: “I’m really happy with today’s result, P4 is really good for us. Our Gainbridge Honda was really fast. It’s a spot where we can race from! We really want to get poles, but if you can’t do that, you really want to make it into the Fast Six and that’s what we did today. We have a long race tomorrow of tire saving and we’re going to try and see what we can do, but I’m confident.”

Marcus Ericsson (#28 Andretti Global Honda) qualified fifth: “It’s going to be an interesting day tomorrow, for sure, with the California sun out and really hot temperatures. It’s going to be a day of managing stint lengths and having good fuel mileage—I’m happy to be in a Honda because of that!  The #28 Bryant car has been really good all weekend, we’ve been fast every session, but it’s going to be an interesting race. We have only been here for testing and the exhibition race—but that was heat racing without any live pit stops or full stint lengths. So, tomorrow will be very interesting and I’m glad we’ve put ourselves in a good spot.”

Honda at The Thermal Club

• Last year’s $1 Million Challenge at Thermal was the first racing action held at Thermal by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, following a pre-season test at the track in 2023.
• Honda driver Alex Palou won the race in his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing machine, taking home a check for $500,000 in the non-points event while Felix Rosenqvist finished third for Meyer Shank Racing.

Toyota wins Top Fuel and Funny Car Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenges

CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 22, 2025) – Doug Kalitta claimed the top qualifying position for the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. Kalitta ran a 3.688 elapsed time in Friday night’s qualifying session for the 59th No. 1 qualifier of his career, as he goes for career win number 56 tomorrow. His Toyota Top Fuel Dragster teammates Shawn Langdon (third), Antron Brown (fourth) and Justin Ashley (sixth) joined him inside the top half of the category for tomorrow’s eliminations.

Saturday was also the first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge of the season where Langdon captured the win in Top Fuel, defeating Jasmine Salinas and Tony Stewart to earn bonus championship points and bonus prize money.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps led the GR Supra Funny Car contingent, claiming the No. 4 seed for tomorrow. Capps also won the Funny Car Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge in the final qualifying session, earning a Toyota sweep of the nitro challenges in Phoenix. His Toyota teammates Bobby Bode and J.R. Todd will be the seventh and ninth seeds tomorrow in the Funny Car ladder.

Tomorrow’s eliminations from Firebird Motorsports Park begin at 2 p.m. EST with live TV coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST on FS1.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series

Firebird Motorsports Park

NHRA Arizona Nationals

Race 2 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Doug Kalitta	Sealmaster Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	1st	T. Shumake
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	3rd	S. Palmer
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	4th	J. Hart
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	6th	I. Zetterstrom

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Bob Tasca III*	Ford Motorcraft Funny Car	1st*	J. Capps
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	4th	B. Alexander
Bobby Bode	DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	7th	M. Hagan
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	9th	D. Wilkerson

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Sealmaster Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

Does a run like this give you confidence for tomorrow?

“Yeah, definitely. The track’s holding up well. On that last run, we shot a couple spring plugs out, so ran a 3.82 and not sure what we would’ve run (without that), but (thinking) a little better than that. That’ll put us in the mix with everyone else. Shawn (Langdon) said they ran a 3.79 or close to that. Like all of these races, everyone is running close and you have to get up on the wheel and make it happen on Sunday. Looking forward to it.”

SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 3rd

With the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty win today, how much do you love racing in Phoenix?

“Yeah, there’s some tracks that just work well with what you have and some that don’t seem to work well. Phoenix fortunately is one of those that work well. I remember I’ve always loved coming here as a kid, starting out racing junior dragsters and I was able to get some wins in a Super Comp car as well. Yeah, love coming here. Brian (Husen, crew chief) and the whole Kalitta Air group, they’ve done a great job with the car and setup. Last year, making good runs and we’re continuing that success this year. I didn’t do a good job in the final (as) I clicked it a little early, so truth to be told, was probably going 3.79 which shows how much stronger the car really is. Definitely gives us a lot of confidence going into Sunday.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 4th

What does this Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty win mean for your team?

“A win light is a win light, but this one is a special event. And let’s not forget, our NAPA Auto Care team won the inaugural one (Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge). We went to Indianapolis and won that. We’re so happy Mission Foods put this deal up as for the fans, it’s exciting. For us racers, it’s really exciting. Our NAPA guys, Toyota. A win’s a win. My gosh, this is so cool!”

The good times continue to roll for Josh Berry and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team as they are set to start on the front row for Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Berry took that spot with a lap at 168.460 miles per hour during qualifying Saturday afternoon. The strong qualifying performance comes on the heels of a win at Las Vegas and a top-five finish at Phoenix the week before.“I’m so happy with everyone on the 21 team,” Berry told reporters at Homestead. “They’re making me look good right now. We’ve got really good cars. The car’s been really solid. Thanks to everyone on the 21 team, everybody at Wood Brothers Racing, Team Penske, DEX Imaging for coming on board this week, all our partners at Motorcraft and eero. It’s been a fun start to the season. We’re just trying to keep it going, doing the same thing week in and week out, and being prepared.”As has been the case in recent weeks practice numbers at Homestead were not an indication of what came next. Berry was 31st on the speed chart with a best lap at 164.469 mph, which he posted on the second of 30 laps he ran in the session. Among drivers who ran 10 consecutive laps, he was 17th best, averaging 162.474 mph over his first 10 laps.Sunday’s 267-lap, 400.5-mile race is expected to get the green flag just after 3 p.m. with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1. Stage breaks are planned for Laps 80 and 165.

NASCAR CUP SERIES HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING REPORT MARCH 22, 2025

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP: POS.     DRIVER1st – Alex Bowman5th – William Byron10th – AJ Allmendinger

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·       Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman extended Chevrolet’s 2025 pole-winning streak to three-straight at Homestead-Miami Speedway. One of the final three cars to lay down a qualifying lap, Bowman clocked-in a lap of 31.982 seconds, at 168.845 mph, in his No. 48 Ally Unrivaled League Chevrolet to earn the pole position for tomorrow’s Straight Talk Wireless 400.  ·       The feat – Bowman’s first pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway and his sixth all-time in NASCAR’s top division – is Chevrolet’s third pole win of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, each of which have been earned by a different driver.   ·       Three Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s will line up in the top-10 starting positions for tomorrow’s 400-mile race. Among those includes Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate and former Homestead-Miami Speedway winner, William Byron, who drove his No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet to a fifth-place qualifying effort. Coming off a top-10 result last weekend, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger kept his mile-and-a-half momentum alive with a 10th-place qualifying result in his No. 10 Action Industries Chevrolet.

Chevrolet’s all-time NASCAR Cup Series statistics at Homestead-Miami Speedway:  Wins: 7Poles: 7Top-Fives: 52Top-10s: 108Chevrolet’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Statistics:  Wins: 1Poles: 3Top-Fives: 11Top-10s: 25

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet – Pole Win Press Conference Quotes It was interesting, a lot of the drivers or cars that did very well in practice did not necessarily have that translate in qualifying. What would you attribute that to? You were fast in practice and in qualifying, but if you could just talk about kind of how that was different..“Yeah, I mean, I think this place is pretty weather sensitive, right? So I think we probably had a little bit of a cloud there, it seemed like. And then, yeah, some people’s cars here are not great on the short run and really fast on the long run. We were kind of the opposite of that in practice.. we were really fast on the short run and not great on the long run stuff. So I knew that qualifying was going to be really important because of that, and that we have some work to do for tomorrow. But for me, I had a pretty clear-cut plan for qualifying. I thought I was able to execute that pretty well, and my race car kind of gave me what I needed to be able to do that.”   A lot of people really love this racetrack. Do you have that same sort of relationship with it? “Yeah, when your race car is good, it’s really, really fun. But it just gives you options. It is still really hard to pass, for sure, just like anywhere else we go. But there’s so many different lines you can run, and running the wall can be so technical and a lot of fun.  It’s so high risk that there’s not many other things that we do that are that high risk, I don’t think.. aside from maybe making speed at the Chicago street course or some of those places. And maybe not so much with this car as it was with the steel body car, but it still makes it a lot of fun.  So yeah, I enjoy it. This hasn’t been one of my better racetracks, so a place that I’m working on a lot, and I’m glad to at least be on the good side of things on Saturday, so far.”   I spoke with Blake (Harris) this morning about just kind of what he had in mind for this weekend as kind of top priority. One thing he mentioned that helped you guys was a wet weather test last year, where you were kind of like not beholden to results or anything, and you were able to kind of just experiment a little bit more and find more comfort here. What did you take away from that experience?“Yeah, we were really fast running the wall that day, and then I couldn’t run the wall at all in practice. I felt terrible trying to run the wall. But yeah, I mean, just laps here, right? I think really of any of the standard NASCAR scheduled tracks, I probably have the least amount of races here that I do anywhere. I missed one when I was hurt. I never ran here in Xfinity until 2016, so just not a lot of reps here for me. And obviously only coming here once a year, it’s just never been a place that I’ve felt super confident at or had a lot of laps at.  So just laps in general, and that test I think was really good. And running 185 mph in the pouring rain was pretty sweet, too, so it was pretty cool.”  Can you speak more to that experience and I guess what that day entailed?“Yeah, I mean, I talked about it in some interviews right after that. I feel like my memory is probably not completely the sharpest on what went on, but yeah, the wet tires had a ton of grip. I think we were probably the same speed or faster on wets than we were on dries in the wet. But the water turned into like a water jet and just destroyed the race cars. With all the aggregate in the racetrack and how fast you’re going with that much water, it was just destroying the bottom of the car.. like punching holes in the floor. So yeah, that was pretty wild, but it was a really cool experience, and I think probably got Goodyear and NASCAR some really good data from it.”  What’s the compromise between having one good lap Saturday but then turning that into good long run speed over the course of Sunday’s race?“Yeah, I mean, we were pretty fast on the short run in practice and I was pretty bummed after practice, just with how our long run went. So we have a long way to go for that, but I think starting from pit stall one, starting in clean air, all those things make your job a lot easier. Our teammates were really fast, so we’ll be able to look at what they’ve got going on. And honestly, I probably beat my tires up quite a bit in dirty air there in the beginning of practice. I caught the same couple guys like two or three times, and I’d back up, I’d catch them again and just kind of saw the tires off it and that’s like dirty air situations. So hopefully not having to be behind anybody there at the start will benefit us.”   Your last name starts and the winners all this year have come from B. Do you look at that stuff? “Yeah, there’s something every week that means we’re winning. Last week, anytime somebody for the last couple years had won three-in-a-row, we were the guy that won after that and we didn’t do that last week. Although we probably had a car capable of doing it if our day would have just gone okay. But yeah, so at least we’re on the list. There’s some other guys that start with B’s too, but at least we’re the ones starting up front. And yeah, I think we’ll have a shot at it.  If there’s a conspiracy that’s getting me a win, I’ll take it, by the way. I’ll take them, as you guys know, any way I can get them (laughs).”  Normally, this race, you don’t come back here for a full year. It’s only been a few months. After having a top-10 and running the way you did last fall, how much can that be more of a carryover than a normal year, or is it a new year and everything changes, in a sense?“Yeah, I think it helps. I still feel like it’s been forever, especially with testing afterwards. I think I had this exact idea of what I wanted to come back with, and then we sat down this week and I’m like — I’ve got to reread all this stuff because I don’t remember anything. Yeah, it still feels probably longer than it has actually been. But yeah, probably being able to build off just a solid run last time was really good because it had been a while since we’ve been solid here. Yeah, I think that was good for us.”  How do you feel like things have gone the start of the year? I mean, top-five, top-six in points, so you’re right there.. “Yeah, we’ve had interesting days, right? We just haven’t had a day that went okay for us and everything. We executed all day and we ended up where we ended up. Like something’s kind of happened every race that we’ve had to overcome, so I would like to have some clean days because I feel like we can be further up front than we have been at the end of these things. But it certainly could be a lot worse too, right? There’s plenty of things that could have completely taken us out of races that we’ve overcame, and we’ve had some cautions fall our way to kind of save us from messes we’ve made too. So yeah, I think we’re in a good spot. I think our cars are fast, which is really something to feel good about. And yeah, if we can just execute, I think we’ll be pretty good.”

SWAINSBORO, GA (March 21, 2025) – For the second-straight World of Outlaws Late Models race, Bobby Pierce started his night as a first-timer at the venue.

And for the second-straight race, he ended the night in Victory Lane.

The Oakwood, IL native’s win Friday night in the Battle of the Crossroads at Swainsboro Raceway was the 33rd of his career with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet, further extending his lead atop the Series points table.

Pierce started the 35-lap affair at the front after drawing the Bilstein Pole Award, but only got to enjoy the clean air for one lap before a massive pileup behind him halted the action. Tristan Chamberlain made contact with Jimmy Owens before clipping an infield tractor tire and flipping, while a dozen more cars spun or made contact behind him.

Once the carnage was cleared and the race resumed, Pierce went to work on building a gap to the field while Team22 Motorsports teammates Drake Troutman and Chris Madden battled for second.

Troutman won that tussle and was briefly on Pierce’s tail for the lead, but the “Smooth Operator” was able to maintain the top spot. Behind them, Ryan Gustin was busy charging forward from 10th, as he spent several laps in third before getting around Troutman for second.

Gustin was briefly closing in on the leader, but was unable to get any closer than a half-second behind the No. 32. That was until a caution was thrown for debris with four circuits remaining, giving Gustin and the rest of the field one last chance at keeping Pierce out of Victory Lane.

“When they’re on you, I mean, you don’t know where to go,” Pierce said. “Sometimes its better to be second than first. You dipped when you should have dived, you know. Sometimes it’s the way the cards fall.”

The 2023 World of Outlaws champion would not be denied though, as Pierce nailed the restart and drove four perfect laps to take the win in his Swainsboro debut.

While the track was largely bottom-dominant in the Heat Races and Landa Pressure Washers Last Chance Showdowns, drivers had to navigate a vastly different surface in the Feature, as the high lane quickly became the preferred groove as the race progressed.

“I knew it could possibly get that way,” Pierce said. “I’ve seen some video of this track. Once they do some track prep, it can move to the top, so I’ve seen it happen. It’s strange because it is very flat up there and it’s a far way around, but once that bottom gets slick enough the top is a little quicker sometimes.”

Considering it was also Gustin’s first visit to Swainsboro and he was piloting a wounded race car for most of the Feature, “The Reaper” was more than satisfied with a runner-up result.

“I definitely felt like that caution wasn’t going to hurt us at all,” Gustin said. “Had a really good car there, I just got into that tire a couple times and bent the left-front bumper down and was just kind of sitting on the straightaway. When I kept my left-front light in an arc it was good, but then you miss the brown on exit. All in all it was a good night.”

Troutman brought the No. 22* home third to stand on the podium for the second time in the last three World of Outlaws races. That performance was enough to take the lead in the MD3 Rookie of the Year chase by six points over Ethan Dotson, who finished ninth.

“Honestly, this is the most comfortable I’ve felt in this car all year long,” Troutman said. “We’re making good gains on it. I’ve got a lot of great people behind me that are behind the scenes that don’t really get credit for it.”

A pair of rising stars in the southeast rounded out the top five, with Cory Hedgecock in fourth and Wil Herrington setting a new career-best with the Outlaws in fifth.

RACE NOTES:

Dennis Erb Jr. set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Chris Madden won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Chris Madden won Heat 1.

Jimmy Owens won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Bobby Pierce won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Nick Hoffman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Ashton Winger and Jackson Hise won the two Landa Pressure Washers Last Chance Showdowns.

Bobby Pierce won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Ethan Dotson drove from 23rd to ninth to pick up the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Drake Troutman was the MD3 Rookie of the Race.

Ryan Gustin won the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher Award.

Cory Hedgecock was the ARP fourth-Place Finisher.

Wil Herrington was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Chris Madden was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Dalton Cook was the VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the Lifeline USA Ninth-Place Finisher.

Cody Overton was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Models wrap up the Battle at the Crossroads at Swainsboro Raceway on Saturday, March 22 with a $15,000-to-win main event. To get your tickets in advance, click here.

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

Feature (35 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 2. 19R-Ryan Gustin[10]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[5]; 4. 23V-Cory Hedgecock[6]; 5. 15K-Wil Herrington[12]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[2]; 7. 9-Nick Hoffman[3]; 8. 44D-Dalton Cook[7]; 9. 74X-Ethan Dotson[23]; 10. 2-Cody Overton[14]; 11. 111-Max Blair[19]; 12. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[25]; 13. 3S-Brian Shirley[24]; 14. 14JR-Trey Mills[8]; 15. 9M-Tim McCreadie[20]; 16. 96-Tanner English[15]; 17. 12-Ashton Winger[17]; 18. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 19. 49-Jake Timm[13]; 20. 19-Dustin Sorensen[16]; 21. 18X-Michael Page[21]; 22. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 23. 388-Jackson Hise[18]; 24. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[9]; 25. 49M-Luke Morey[22]; 26. B1-Brent Larson[26]

The defending champion takes the lead from Kofoid on Lap 10 and holds off the Californian’s late charge for fourth win of 2025

PAIGE, TX (March 21, 2025) – Another day, another David Gravel win.

The defending World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car champion is at the top of his game. His title campaign in 2024 was plenty impressive, but he’s out for domination in 2025.

The latest testament to he and Big Game Motorsports’ excellence was an impressive drive on Friday night at Cotton Bowl Speedway. Gravel started fourth for the 30-lapper and methodically worked his way to the front by the 10th lap, but it wasn’t over yet. The Watertown, CT native had to hold off a fierce charge from Michael “Buddy” Kofoid. The Roth Motorsports driver got the top side of Turns 1 and 2 wound up and showed Gravel a nose entering Turn 3 multiple times.

But Gravel showed the poise of a champion as he sensed the need to move to the cushion in the first set of corners. That slowed Kofoid’s momentum, and that was all she wrote in the Federated Auto Parts Texas Two-Step opener. Gravel drove away through lapped traffic on the path to yet another victory with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

“I think just reacting from what he (Kofoid) was doing,” Gravel said on what led him to victory. “He was running the top, and I was kind of running low and then I had the bottom of (Turns) 1 and 2 all to myself. The 17 and 83 didn’t really try it much, and it was really good down there. When I got the lead, it started taking rubber through the middle not all the way to the bottom. I could hear him and knew he was getting a run on me in (Turns) 1 and 2, so I had to move up and moved up at the right time.”

The win was Gravel’s fourth in the last seven races in the Cody Jacobs-wrenched No. 2. He’s still yet to miss the top 5 through 11 nights in the 2025 campaign. His second Cotton Bowl checkered flag put him alongside Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet as multi-time winners at the Paige, TX track. The point lead for the 32-year-old grew to 70 markers in his quest for back-to-back titles.

“These guys continue to give me great race cars,” Gravel said. “We’re qualifying amazing and racing just as good. We were just patient there. We kind of figured they were all going to be pretty aggressive and kind of let the race come to us and it worked out.”

The runner-up position belonged to Buddy Kofoid as he came up one spot shy of two wins in a row aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83. The Penngrove, CA native continues to build momentum with his third top five finish in the last four races after no top five appearances in the first seven.

“David and the Big Game guys have been really good obviously,” Kofoid said. “I think we were better than him for a while, and then when he found it we kind of got back even. Then you just kind of got to surrender and chase him into there, and then the top kind of gave out again down there and had to move down. Just a race where you’ve got to work both pedals and find the lines. I feel like everything changes here so fast.”

The final spot on the podium went to Carson Macedo. He and the Jason Johnson Racing crew have been in the top three in three of the last four, and Friday’s effort helped lift them back into the second spot in points.

“It was a bit of a marathon race,” Macedo said. “There was a lot of moving parts. I felt like throughout the race there was a lot of comers and goers. You kind of had to chase the track a little bit. I feel like early it started out the bottom was really good both ends, and then down in (Turns) 1 and 2 I found the top and was actually kind of creeping back a little bit. I found the top and drove back by a few guys and got to third.”

Sheldon Haudenschild and Donny Schatz completed the top five.

A 24th to 13th run gave Skylar Gee the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

David Gravel grabbed his sixth Simpson Quick Time in 11 tries this year during Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One and Two belonged to David Gravel and Carson Macedo. WIX Filters Heat Three went to Buddy Kofoid.

Sheldon Haudenschild topped the Toyota Dash after also getting the SPA Technique #1 Redraw.

Christopher Thram won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Bill Balog.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are back at Cotton Bowl Speedway for the Federated Auto Parts Texas Two-Step finale on Saturday, March 22. Reserved seating is sold out, but general admission tickets can be purchased by CLICKING HERE.

For the complete 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[4]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid[2]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[6]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[1]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz[10]; 6. 27-Emerson Axsom[9]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[11]; 8. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[3]; 9. 2C-Cole Macedo[14]; 10. 7S-Chris Windom[16]; 11. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[8]; 12. 24T-Christopher Thram[19]; 13. 99-Skylar Gee[24]; 14. 28M-Conner Morrell[20]; 15. 23-Garet Williamson[5]; 16. 2KS-Cory Eliason[12]; 17. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[17]; 18. 6-Zach Hampton[13]; 19. 17B-Bill Balog[7]; 20. 22M-Rees Moran[15]; 21. J2-John Carney II[21]; 22. 45X-Jace Park[18]; 23. 17GP-Landon Crawley[22]; 24. 73-Logan Julien[23]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

CHILLICOTHE, OH (March 21, 2025) – Reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion Ricky Thornton Jr. secured his first career victory at Atomic Speedway, taking home the $15,000 prize for winning the Buckeye Spring 50 on Friday night. Thornton successfully fended off a determined Josh Rice, marking his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season. Rice, who closed in on Thornton several times during the last 39 laps of the race, finished second by 0.541 seconds at the line. Devin Moran came in third, followed by Mike Marlar and Hudson O’Neal. Thornton jumped to the lead at the start of the race, with Jonathan Davenport running in second place. Davenport stayed close to Thornton until a lapped car came down on him, forcing Davenport to spin in turn two after ten laps as the caution was displayed for him, requiring a restart from the back of the field.  Rice then moved into second place as he and Garrett Alberson raced hard for that position, with Moran joining the battle after starting in ninth. Moran briefly took second, but Rice fought back to reclaim the position. In the closing laps, Rice managed to catch up to Thornton, but he couldn’t pull off a last-minute move on the final lap to try and steal the win from Thornton. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 46th time in his career, Thornton has now assumed the championship points lead as he heads to Brownstown on Saturday. “I knew Josh (Rice) was going to be good, really, I thought he was a little better than I was there I was just able to get out in front of him. I’ve got a little right-side damage. I got behind a lapped car, and he kept kind of going low, and he turned back to the bottom finally, and I knew it was time I had to go, or I was going to get passed, so I and he hit a little bit, obviously I got some right-side damage. It’s part of it, so we will have it ready tomorrow at Brownstown.” “It was a hard-earned 50 laps for sure. With JD starting next to me this is one of his better race-tracks. I don’t know what happened to him. You don’t want to see a guy be the yellow, especially him; you want to beat guys like that straight up.” Rice, who came into the event with two career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victories at Florence Speedway, nearly stole the show at Atomic. “Really, I felt like I needed it to stay green. We were a little bit harder on tires than he was. It was a heck of a race. Ricky did everything he had to do to win that one. I am sure all of the fans loved it. Really, this is our first weekend out; last weekend wasn’t so good. We adjusted good on the car tonight. I feel like we did some stuff we don’t normally do, and it worked out from hot laps to qualifying. I had a totally different racecar with just a slight adjustment.” Moran, who maintained second in the points and heads to Brownstown tomorrow as the defending Indiana Icebreaker winner, rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “I’ve got to start closer to the front. I feel like I have been starting all these races in the back and having to pass cars. Ricky and Josh were really good. I had a couple of chances to slide Josh, and I knew he was going to be on the gas, and I didn’t want to do that. All-in-all, they did an awesome job with the racetrack.” The winner’s Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, EMD Wraps, Certified Inspection Services, and Knight’s Companies. Completing the top ten were Garrett Alberson, Brandon Overton, Carson Ferguson, Donald McIntosh, and Jonathan Davenport. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Buckeye Spring 50Friday, March 21, 2025Atomic Speedway – Waverly, OH Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 13.220 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport | 13.313 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 5. S21-Seth Daniels[8]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[7]; 8. 71R-Rod Conley[5]; 9. 90-Michael LeFevers[9] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 157-Mike Marlar[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 4. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 5. 29-Christian Hanger[4]; 6. 19M-Spencer Hughes[7]; 7. 9Y-Levi Yetter[5]; 8. 18-Jacob Stuhr[8] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 4. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 5. 00-Justin Cooper[6]; 6. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 7. 24-Tyler Wyant[8]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71C-RJ Conley[1]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[2]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 4. 28-Tyler Carpenter[4]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 6. 21-Kirk Phillips[7]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 8. 4-Tripp Gerrald[5] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. S21-Seth Daniels[1]; 2. 29-Christian Hanger[2]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 4. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 5. 19M-Spencer Hughes[4]; 6. 71R-Rod Conley[7]; 7. 18-Jacob Stuhr[8]; 8. 9Y-Levi Yetter[6]; 9. (DNS) 90-Michael LeFevers UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 3. 24-Tyler Wyant[5]; 4. 4-Tripp Gerrald[8]; 5. 00-Justin Cooper[1]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 7. 21-Kirk Phillips[4]; 8. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck Buckeye Spring 50 Feature Finish (50 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $16,1002 – 3 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $7,0003 – 9 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $6,0004 – 7 – 157 – Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – $4,0005 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,8006 – 5 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,2007 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,1008 – 12 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $3,0009 – 8 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $2,90010 – 2 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $3,20011 – 26 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,70012 – 20 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $2,50013 – 17 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,60014 – 23 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,50015 – 13 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $2,10016 – 19 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,00017 – 15 – 28 – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,20018 – 10 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $1,80019 – 24 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $80020 – 4 – 71C – RJ Conley – Wheelersburg, OH – $1,00021 – 22 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $1,70022 – 14 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,00023 – 21 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – $1,00024 – 25 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $10025 – 18 – 29 – Christian Hanger – Winchester, TN – $1,00026 – 16 – S21 – Seth Daniels – Jackson, OH – $1,000 Race Statistics  Entrants: 33Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Ricky Thornton, Jr.MD3 Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 1-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 0.541 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Dan Ebert; Daniel Hilsabeck (Initial Start); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 10); Tyler Erb (Lap 19); Daulton Wilson (Lap 24); Tyler Bruening (Lap 40)Series Provisionals: Spencer Hughes; Daniel HilsabeckFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Clay Harris; Cory LawlerTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Josh Rice, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Josh Rice, Devin Moran, Mike Marlar, Hudson O’NealPEM 4th Place Feature: Mike MarlarDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Hudson O’NealWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Tyler ErbMD3 24th Place Feature: Cory LawlerHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Advanced 15 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (50 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jonathan Davenport Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 2 | 14.336 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Josh RiceHard Luck Award: Jonathan DavenportOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Zach FrieldsARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (13.344 seconds)Time of Race: 26 minutes 08 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1410 – $64,4002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1380 – $70,5003 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1355 – $54,7004 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1250 – $27,4505 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1180 – $21,6506 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1175 – $24,5757 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1170 – $25,0258 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1140 – $19,4009 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1135 – $19,50010 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 1035 – $21,80011 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 1000 – $11,50012 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 995 – $15,37513 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 970 – $9,30014 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 965 – $20,95015 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 940 – $8,20016 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 935 – $13,60017 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 900 – $12,00018 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 875 – $9,62519 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 850 – $16,75020 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 820 – $12,80021 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 810 – $6,05022 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 800 – $16,15023 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 760 – $4,07524 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 740 – $6,600

FRIDAY RECAP – PhoenixRace 2 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

ALL THREE JFR DRIVERS EXCEL IN FIRST DAY QUALIFYINGProck and Beckman Go 2-3 in Funny Car; Brittany Second to Kalitta in Top Fuel

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 21, 2025) – After an uncharacteristic performance in the season opener at Gainesville, Fla., reigning Funny Car World Champion Austin Prock looked more like his old dominant self Friday, coaxing his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to one of the three quickest runs in each of the first two qualifying sessions in 40th NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park  The 29-year-old finished Day 1 in the provisional No. 2 position at 3.883 seconds, just a tick behind Bob Tasca III (3.863) and a tick ahead of John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman (3.895), who continued to rack up qualifying bonus points in his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy. Racing without the “mud flaps” that usually are positioned just in front of the rear tires on modern era Top Fuel dragsters like her Monster Energy Chevrolet, two-time World Champion Brittany Force also finished Friday in the provisional No. 2 position. Quickest in the first session, she wound up second behind only Doug Kalitta after negotiating the course in 3.705 seconds at 331.69 mph. Two final qualifying sessions Saturday will set the lineup for Sunday eliminations. All three JFR entries are benefitting this week from the sponsor support of Phoenix-based Powers Affordable Housing and the moral support of John Powers III, one of Force’s former Funny Car rivals, who spent Friday in the JFR compound. “That’s NHRA Drag racing for you,” Prock said of Friday’s performance. “One day you’re in the dirt and next day you’re making a nice run down the racetrack. Great start to the weekend here in Phoenix. Sun’s out. Happy to be at a racetrack where it’s warm (and) really proud to have new sponsors on the side of this racecar. “Obviously, we were looking for a get healthy day after (qualifying only 15th and losing in the first round at) Gainesville,” said the man who last year qualified his Chevy No. 1 a record-setting 15 times in 20 events. “It’s got a lot more left in it. It kind of chattered the tire early both runs. We’re just getting it back dialed in.  “I know this ‘Prock Rocket’ is going to be flying by the end of the weekend, so I’m excited about that and excited to have some new partners on board with us. Powers Affordable Housing. They use all American made steel, and they have some really cool products for living in or if you have a hot rod you need a garage for. And it’s really cool to have Graham Rahal on the side of this thing as well. Graham and I are good buddies, and he has a hell of a facility out there in Zionsville (Indiana). So, excited about that and excited to get in tomorrow and see where we land on Sunday.” Second quickest on his first run, Beckman was third quickest in the Friday night session and, like his teammate, anxious to see what Saturday brings. “Another great qualifying day for the PEAK Chevy SS,” he said. “At Gainesville, we only got two qualifying runs, but we were No. 1 both sessions. And then we come out here and first session we’re No. 2 and second session we’re No. 3. That means we got bonus points every time this car has gone down the track this year in qualifying and that’s just a testament to the team and the crew guys on this car.  “They’re doing everything right,” said the three-time Phoenix winner. “The crew chiefs are making good calls and that just increases my confidence every time they fire it up.” As for Brittany, she was quickest in the first session at 3.768 seconds and was the first to take advantage of the NHRA’s four-race moratorium on “mud flaps.” “This is a really good start for our Monster Energy team,” she said. “There’s a lot of theories and speculation going around about removing the ‘mud flaps,’ but we didn’t have them on our car in Gainesville during testing when we went 302.69 mph to the 1/8th mile (fastest speed ever to that distance) and we didn’t have them on at all today. “We’re behind Doug after today, but we’re still very satisfied with the performance of the car,” said the 17-time tour winner. “We’re also excited to be teaming up with Powers Affordable Housing and with Graham Rahal Performance. That one is very special since Graham is my brother-in-law (married to former Funny Car driver Courtney Force). So, to tie together IndyCar and drag racing and have family on our car is very special.” Regarding the mud flaps, crew chief David Grubnic said flatly that “One run doesn’t prove anything. We’ve been given the opportunity to explore (this issue) but we’ve got to look at driveshafts; we’ve got to look at a lot of things. The car pretty much ran its number (Friday) so it doesn’t suggest the mud flaps did anything (but) it’s way too early.  Let’s just see what happens.”

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES THE THERMAL CLUB INDYCAR GRAND PRIX THE THERMAL CLUB THERMAL, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE PRACTICE ONE MARCH 21, 2025 CHEVROLET POWERED DRIVERS SHOW STRENGTH IN FIRST PRACTCE AT THE THERMAL CLUB·       Drivers representing all six of the Chevrolet INDYCAR teams took turns in the 80-minute (65 minutes of track time) practice session in preparation for Firestone Fast Six qualifying on Saturday·       Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, led the charge for Team Chevy with a fast lap of one minute, 40:8728 seconds around the 3.067-mile/17-turn natural road course·       Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Scott McLaughlin, No 3 Team Penske Chevrolet, Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet and Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Chevrolet showed solid performance and speed during the session·       Robert Shwartman , No. 83 PREMA Chevrolet, suffered a fuel cell technical issue that caused a fire forcing the team to go to a back-up car·       The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix on Saturday sees Practice 2 at 1 p.m. ET, with qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six at 5 p.m. ET, both on FS1. Sunday’s race day opens then with a warm-up session on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET. The 65-lap, 199.36-mile main event takes the green flag live with new NTT INDYCAR SERIES partner FOX on Sunday live at 3 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying sessions broadcast with INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Chevrolet: “From my side, from the cockpit, I was driving and immediately lost power, then I had a fuel alarm pop up. I was like ‘Okay, something is wrong.’ Then all of a sudden the car restarted. It brought back the engine power, and I thought maybe everything was fine. I just started going slowly, taking it easy, then at some point I heard a hit, like a pop. Like a little hit on the back and then immediately I felt the seat heating up and I looked in the mirror and saw smoke and fire coming. So I knew I needed to immediately stop the car. I stopped the car and jumped out. From the outside, it didn’t look that bad, at least the fire was not massive. It was good the guys were quick to operate to save the car, so hopefully it’s not big damage and that we can rebuild the car for tomorrow. It’s not helpful, this situation, because it’s the second race weekend we have another problem that’s compromising our driving time, but it is what it is. It happens. What can I do about it? From tomorrow, it’s going to be my job to do the best job possible.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet: “I just love being out here at Thermal. It’s great to be here with Chevrolet, Sexton Properties, and the AJ Foyt team. Surrounded by all these beautiful homes, palm trees and sunny skies, man. I’m loving it. We’ve been struggling with understeer. It’s a common thread with this car just with the way we’re going with the weight and everything. You’ve got to learn how to adapt. That’s a part of being a racecar driver. You’ve got to adapt. So we upped the caster. Give it some more steering weight. Give it some more mid-corner, hopefully. I may be small, but I hit the gym. I feel really great about it. Like I said, the (tire) deg here is going be pretty awesome. I think Firestone has brought us a great tire to run. It’ll be a fun strategy race.”  Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet: “I think you’re going to get big degradation. This is like old school Laguna before the repave a couple of years ago, which is very fun. I know most drivers, including myself, really enjoyed that. I think the tires are acting differently here than they did in St. Pete. We’re back on a road course but this exhibits street course characteristics, if you will. What I mean by this is the red may be more preferred, so the alternate compared to St. Pete where we really liked the primary. I think that’s going to be question mark is what we’re going to use more often this weekend. But I think degradation is definitely going to be the topic. It’s how well does the car look after things, where do you start, what’s the undercut situation, in and out laps. That’s where you’re going to win or lose this race, just like where Laguna (Seca) used to be.” Conor Daly, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:“Well, I think it was really nice to get back out there and get some changes in. The track certainly is it’s a challenge, and I think it’s going to present everyone a couple of new battles with how the weight distribution is now. But I was really happy with how we progressed through the session and picked up a huge amount of time on the reds. Made a little mistake the last corner that cost us a couple of tenths, but good knowledge, good learning for us. Excited for tomorrow to keep going.” Sting Ray, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet:”First day here at Thermal, I think, went smoothly. Not a lot of track time with red flags and another car catching on fire, but I think that we rolled off with a decent package. There’s still some room to go. I think that we’re a bit closer on time sheets than I think we should be, but that’s a good problem to have. I’m optimistic for the qualifying tomorrow, and I’m excited to see what other options we can get going for the car going faster but it looks good and feels good.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “Overall, I think it was a positive start and our pace on new Firestone Alternate tires was pretty strong. We know what we need to work on. We have a lot of understeer that we’ll need to sort out but it’s comfortable. It’s my first time racing in St. Pete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and this is one of my favorite tracks and I’m very excited for the weekend. Off to a strong and positive start and I think we’ll get better from here and be in good shape for Qualifying.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: “For our first go, I think we’re okay. We’re obviously building up to it. We don’t really know what the track condition is compared to last year since St. Pete was a bit under water last fall. I think we’ve identified a few things that we were concerned about leaving Sebring. Some of them translated, some of them didn’t. We still have some work to do, but overall it was a good first run. I’m looking forward to hearing what the others have to say in terms of where we are from an overall balance and overall performance perspective. It’s good to get running.” NTT INDYCAR SERIES News ConferenceFriday, March 21, 2025Scott McLaughlinPato O’WardPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Wrapping up P1 this weekend of the Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix here at beautiful Thermal Club. Joining us is Scott McLaughlin, as is Pato O’Ward,  Q. What did you learn from that practice tire-wise, Scott? SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: I just want to acknowledge that we’re watching NHRA in the INDYCAR press conference. At the end of the day it was, I haven’t been here for a while, nice to get out and have a feel for it. The track is in pretty good nick, I thought, compared year on year. And all the changes they’ve done to Thermal Club, honestly, you have to thank them because they’ve put a lot of work in, pit lane and all that stuff and on track. But yeah, felt good. Played around with some settings on the engine side, and I think we’re okay. Q. Pato, I was asking these guys about what they learned tire-wise from this opening practice. I know that’ll be a big determining factor for how this race goes on Sunday. What did you think you learned from the tire life you’ll get out of the primaries and how many stops we’ll see on Sunday? PATO O’WARD: Ooh, it’s still a cheese grater. We just need to look at the data, really. I think it was a bit different for each of our cars. But yeah, the common denominator is that the DEG is going to be big. I would see it like an Iowa — like an old Iowa kind of thing, I would say, but I can’t road course. Hard to pinpoint it. Q. Did the changes in Turn 17 to the curb, were those good? SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: I think I’m still airborne. Are you? PATO O’WARD: Yeah, we’re still jumping. Yeah. I thought it felt a little bit better. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: Oh, for sure better. More raceable. PATO O’WARD: We’re still catching some air. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: That’s cool. PATO O’WARD: Yeah, we feel it. Q. For Scott, watching the practice, obviously, it looks quite difficult during the race in traffic for overtaking. What’s your opinion in traffic situations? Is there a safe place to overtake or do you have to stay patient? SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: I’ve said it a lot during the week to my guys. I actually think it’s going to race a lot like the old Laguna Seca in some ways, quite a high deg track. We’ll probably play that patience game a little bit. Traditionally, last year was hard because we ran the same set of tires over two races almost, so you were kind of saving the tire for the first half and then making sure that you had enough if there was a late yellow. But this year, obviously, with pit stops and stuff, you want to make some — obviously, when there’s degradation in some spots, it’s as many as you probably thought there would be on a big, big track, but I think with the tire degradation it’ll create opportunities that you may not normally pass someone on the same speed. But yeah. Q. Pato and Scott, you guys obviously had Felipe test here for Penske and I think Enzo for Arrow McLaren. I know it wasn’t the same thing as being here, but does having that little bit of extra data help you this weekend? SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: I guess you could see the track year on year how it’s looking, but yeah, it’s hard because when you have a test like that, there’s only probably three or four cars running around, so the track is probably not as right. But it gave us an idea of where it’s at, at least our team, and it was nice to have three-point do some laps here? PATO O’WARD: Yeah, it’s a track that’s very sensitive to temperature. So like Colton said, they were like 30 degrees cooler and the track temp was definitely a lot nicer then. I can’t remember what you guys were running, but it was definitely quicker than what we were with the old tire, stuff like that. It’s just very sensitive to those differences. Yeah, I’m curious to see what it’s going to do in P2 and then back into qualifying. I think there’s going to be such a shift from one to the other. Q. Pato, how are you finding TK as team principal? PATO O’WARD: How am I finding TK? Race car driver mentality. He still thinks he’s a racing driver. Q. Is that good or bad? PATO O’WARD: I think it’s good. I think it drives everybody forward. Obviously, always has a good spirit, lots of energy. But so far, I think it’s been good. Obviously, there’s been also additions to leadership, as well. So it’s obviously taken some time to kind of all mold together, but I think we’re headed in the right direction. Q. Lundgaard said that TK can be critical and that Lundgaard’s father was a race car driver and he never listened to anything his father told him. And so now he’s struggling to listen to what another former race car driver is criticizing him about. Do you have that problem with TK giving you feedback, whether it be good or bad? PATO O’WARD: I always like to hear, like, the negative feedback more, I would say, than the positive because I feel like the positive, it’s always very dependent on just results. But I feel like behind the results, there’s a lot of things that happen, and you always learn more from the things that you’re doing maybe not optimal. I always welcome it. Sometimes maybe it’s not what you want to hear, but I would say it’s the right approach to have an open mind to that to try and be better. Honestly, I welcome it from everyone. Yeah, we all want to be better. Q. Can you talk about the difference in the hybrid and how did that work out in the first practice session? What did you notice? SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, they’ve added the energy limit, adding to Colton there, so this weekend we can use more than we actually have in previous races. In some ways, the way that we’re using it, which is, obviously, we’re making improvements and getting more comfortable with this hybrid system, but there’s still kinks in it and whatnot, and we’re trying to iron that out. But at the same time, like from a kinks perspective of having to use it and learning to use it and where to use it, I really do enjoy the complexity about it. Q. Pato, in case you have a totally different opinion, of — when TK has an opinion about setup or whatever, a technical decision, you have a totally different decision, you will start a fight, you will be very emotional? What will happen? PATO O’WARD: I’m going to do as I please because I’m in the car. Q. Colton, first off, do you feel safe sitting next to Scott after seeing that FOX cartoon of him? PATO O’WARD: They did you so dirty, man, but they fixed it. SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I heard. My wife texted me. PATO O’WARD: And I think it’s because of you. PATO O’WARD: They’re going to land a helicopter on it. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: I know. It was kind of accurate, though. I do have a big forehead. That’s why I wear a hat. PATO O’WARD: But not that big. Don’t do yourself so dirty. Q. Earlier today, we were saying they weren’t going cool suit on Sunday. After being in that practice session, where do you stand on cool suit — SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: Same. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: This place is a difficult track after a long amount of time, big loads in corners. The heat is going to be close to 90 degrees on Sunday. Yeah, I’m wearing it. PATO O’WARD: I’ve used it once. But maybe I should reconsider. I used it once and it was in Nashville, and I was very thankful I used it because I think you didn’t and you looked wrecked after the race. I don’t know, maybe I’ll reconsider.

The team has gone from its first race a year ago to leading the World of Outlaws rookie points with Garet WilliamsonPAIGE, TX (March 20, 2025) – A year ago, a new Sprint Car team rolled into Cotton Bowl Speedway for its debut.These were no newbies just getting into the game, though. This was a professional organization right off the bat run by a family passionate for the sport. A pristine blue and white hauler. A simple yet sharp paint scheme on the car. The Fischer Motorsports No. 23 was unleashed and ready to be a part of the top level of Sprint Car racing.Longtime supporter of Sprint Cars, Curt Fischer, had always wanted to field a team, and the right opportunity arose in 2024. They put the pieces together, hired Garet Williamson to drive, and hit the road for a busy pick-and-choose season.“I’ll tell you we were excited to get going,” Fischer recalled. “Of course, there was no steering units and no rear ends available, or we would’ve been in Florida last year. So, we waited until the last minute, and of course the other teams had units left from the previous year, so they could still make Florida. That’s why we held off and started in Texas. It was a very interesting weekend, and it was a very interesting year for us.”“That (Cotton Bowl) was our first race last year,” Williamson said. “It was a long but quick off-season, if that makes sense. By the time we got parts and everything it was just thrash-season. Starting a team up from scratch is very hard, especially nowadays with just how hard it is to get parts and the quantity we were ordering to build a high-caliber team.”Fast forward a year, and they’ve risen to the pinnacle of the sport. Williamson returns to Cotton Bowl this weekend for the Federated Auto Parts Texas Two-Step with a new set of circumstances. Fischer sent his team out for a full-time run with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in 2025.But they didn’t simply want to be a part of The Greatest Show on Dirt. They wanted to have an impact. Go toe-to-toe with the best Sprint Car drivers in the world and compete with them. So far, that’s exactly what they’ve done.Williamson heads back to the site of Fischer Motorsports’ debut atop the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year standings above a loaded class of seven contestants. Led by crew chief Chad Cypert, the team’s consistency as of late brought an 11.3 average finish in the last six races including a season-best seventh at Kennedale Speedway Park.For Williamson and Fischer, their early performance is a testament to racing as often as they could last year in many areas of the country and usually facing off with the toughest competition.“I think it shows a lot about how important it is to get as many laps as you can and shows why the guys that have been doing it so long are as good as they are,” Williamson said. “Being with the same guys and team is just as important as any stick-and-ball sport being with the same team. It just grows so much faster and better, and you just build a bond with your guys. Luckily, me and Chaddy (Chad Cypert) worked together in the past, so that kind of curve of learning each other and how we function is not too bad because we’ve also gotten along really well. I think that was huge.”“I couldn’t ask for a better Florida,” Fischer said. “I was very happy with our performance down there. It’s a tough time to be in Sprint Car racing because everybody is so close, and there’s so much money out there that you got to run at the top of your game. You don’t get a second chance like years in the past whenever I was with Jason Johnson and others. You could always rely on somebody slipping up, and you’d be fine, and now it’s like holy cow. You’ve got to hold on to everything you can get, and no you don’t want to go out there and make anybody mad especially being a rookie, but by the same token you’ve still got to race your car.”There’s a long way to go in 2025, but the season started on the right foot for Williamson. He’s not shy about his desire to claim the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year. You only get one chance as a driver. Fischer wants to see his team win the award, and all indications are they’ll be in the hunt. They’ve come a long way from first unloading at Cotton Bowl last spring.“Before the season started, Garet said, ‘I guarantee you we’re going to win the rookie points.’ Well, that was before six other guys jumped on board,” Fischer said with a laugh. “So, we’re really putting him to the test, him and the team, to get out there and win this thing. We’re really excited.”Williamson and the Fischer Motorsports team take on Paige, TX’s Cotton Bowl Speedway at this weekend’s Federated Auto Parts Texas Two-Step this weekend (March 21-22). For tickets, CLICK HERE.For the complete 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/a-year-later-from-texas-debut-to-world-of-outlaws-tour-for-fischer-motorsports/EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4547715 TRACK INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=Cotton%2BBowl%2BSpeedwayFAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

Josh Berry to pilot throwback scheme celebrating the Wood Brothers’ pivotal role in Clark’s historic Indy 500 win

DEARBORN, Mich. (March 20, 2025) – Wood Brothers Racing and driver Josh Berry are set to honor a landmark moment in the team’s history with a special throwback paint scheme for the upcoming Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, the Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR. The No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Mustang will don a design inspired by Jim Clark’s iconic Ford-powered Lotus, which clinched victory at the 1965 Indianapolis 500—a win significantly bolstered by the Wood Brothers’ innovative pit stop strategies. The tribute livery was unveiled today with a commemorative event at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, where Clark’s original race-winning car is exhibited. “This was a really fun project to work on with the team, from sorting all the details to making sure it properly reflected such an important moment in history,” said Jon Wood, president of Wood Brothers Racing. “It’s always special to run a throwback, but this one carries extra meaning because of the connection our family had to that Indy 500 win. Unveiling it at The Henry Ford, right next to the original car, made it even more special. Seeing the No. 21 in those colors is a great way to honor that history, and I think it’s something fans will really appreciate.” That connection dates back to an unexpected conversation at Darlington Raceway, the very track where this tribute will take center stage. During a NASCAR race in the mid-1960s, Ford Motor Company racing official John Cowley approached Glenn Wood with a proposition that took him by surprise—assisting with pit stops for Clark and Team Lotus in the 1965 Indianapolis 500.  “When we were asked by Ford Motor Company to pit Jim Clark’s car for the Indy 500, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our family,” said Leonard Wood. “We were just a group of guys from Stuart, Virginia, working on stock cars, and suddenly, we were part of something that would become a unique part of our history. To see that same scheme now on our No. 21 Ford Mustang for Throwback Weekend at Darlington is really special. It brings back a lot of memories, and it’s a great way to honor that moment.” Berry, in his first season driving for the Wood Brothers, has already added to the team’s storied legacy by recently capturing his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which also marked the Wood Brothers’ 101st win.  “The Wood Brothers have such a rich history in racing, and their role in the 1965 Indy 500 is one of those stories that really stands out,” said Berry. “Getting to drive a throwback that represents such a unique moment for the team is really special. The scheme looks amazing, and I can’t wait to hit the track at Darlington with it.” The 2025 NASCAR Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway takes place April 5-6, with the Goodyear 400 scheduled for Sunday, April 6, at 3 p.m. ET on FS1. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: HEREAbout Motorcraft® Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to under hood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com. *See your dealer for limited-warranty details. About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com. *See your dealer for limited-warranty details.” About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for customers and deepen their loyalty. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, along with connected services. The company does that through three customer-centered business segments: Ford Blue, engineering iconic gas-powered and hybrid vehicles; Ford Model e, inventing breakthrough EVs along with embedded software that defines exceptional digital experiences for all customers; and Ford Pro, helping commercial customers transform and expand their businesses with vehicles and services tailored to their needs. Additionally, Ford is pursuing mobility solutions through Ford Next, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 177,000 people worldwide. More information about the company and its products and services is available at corporate.ford.com.   About Ford Performance Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, TikTok and YouTube. About Wood Brothers Racing Founded in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood in Stuart, Virginia, Wood Brothers Racing holds a special place in NASCAR history as the sport’s longest-running team. Over eight decades, the team has earned 100 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with 120 poles, and remains proud of its longstanding relationship with Ford Motor Company, fielding only Ford products since its inception. Glenn’s brother, Leonard Wood, played a key role in shaping modern racing by developing the techniques behind today’s pit stops. With a rich legacy rooted in innovation and tradition, Wood Brothers Racing continues to honor its heritage while adapting for the future as it competes in NASCAR’s premier series with Josh Berry.

(Pictured: Evan Kelleher #31, Photo credit: American Flat Track/Tim Lester) Posted on behalf of Schaeffer’s Motorsports  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 20, 2025) – Schaeffer’s Motorsports is proud to announce the renewal of its partnership with rising star Evan Kelleher for the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season in the AFT Singles presented by KICKER class. Kelleher will pilot a Schaeffer’s Motorsports-prepped KTM 450 SX-F, aiming to turn heads as he battles for podium finishes throughout the season.  “I want to give a huge shout out to the team at Schaeffer’s in Orwigsburg, PA. They give me a machine capable of making podiums—the rest is up to me!” said, Evan Kelleher. Schaeffer’s Motorsports, co-owned by Geoff Bogotuik and Cherie Schaeffer-Bogotuik, has steadily supported Kelleher’s continued rise through the AFT Singles ranks:  “We’ve backed Evan for a couple of years now, and we’ve seen consistent improvements in his ‘race-craft’. We believe he’ll be fighting for wins this year,” said Bogotuik.  “Evan is a great representative for Schaeffer’s Motorsports on and off the track. We’re so proud to have him on our racing team,” added Schaeffer-Bogotuik.  Kelleher dazzled fans in 2024, especially at the DuQuoin Mile finale, charging with the lead pack and holding third at times before scoring a close fifth. With eyes set on the 2025 season, Kelleher’s ready to take the fight to the front aboard a meticulously prepared Schaeffer’s KTM.  Alongside Schaeffer’s Motorsports, Kelleher receives strong backing from Seymour Racing, South Shore Design, RPM Dent Repair, Retrofit Technologies, Gas 44, Scars and Stripes, Blud Lubricants, and Flo Vision. A special thanks goes out to his parents for their unwavering support. NEXT UP  Catch Evan Kelleher and the rest of the pros at Round Three, the Yamaha Senoia Short Track at Senoia Raceway on Saturday, March 29. Purchase your tickets HERE. Can’t make it in person? Tune in LIVE on FloRacing HERE.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES THE THERMAL CLUB INDYCAR GRAND PRIX THE THERMAL CLUB THERMAL, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE MARCH 21-23, 2025 TEAM CHEVY SET TO TAKE ON THE THERMAL CLUB IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ SECOND ROUND OF THE 2025 SEASON The second event of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season takes Chevrolet-powered teams and drivers west to The Thermal Club for the first points-paying event at the 3.067-mile track.The Team Chevy drivers and teams of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES have grown familiar to the Southern California facility, first testing there in 2023 and holding the $1 Million Challenge exhibition event in 2024.Chevrolet is looking to be the first manufacturer to score the NTT P1 Pole Award and win in a points-paying competition at The Thermal Club.Overall, Team Chevy has amassed 122 wins and 136 earned NTT P1 Pole Awards in the V6 era of the Series since 2012, in addition to 337 podium finishes. DETROIT (March 20, 2025) – The Team Chevy drivers and teams head west to The Thermal Club for the second round of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season for the first points-paying event at the 3.067-mile raceway. Competing on the Twin Palms layout, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES first tested at the track in 2023, competing last year in the $1 Million Challenge exhibition event. Featuring a set of highly demanding 17 turns, tight corners, long straightaways, and elevation changes, the technical track features a significant challenge for competitors. “The Thermal Club will be a challenge for the second round of the 2025 season,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet INDYCAR Program Manager. “After a solid test earlier this month at Barber, our Chevrolet-powered drivers have a solid foundation to adapt to the natural road course after coming off the Streets of St. Petersburg. The Thermal Club provides a technical challenge to our drivers and teams that sets the stage for a competitive race. We’re looking forward to the weekend.”  The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix first kicks off with Practice 1 on Friday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday sees Practice 2 at 1 p.m. ET, with qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six at 5 p.m. ET, both on FS1. Sunday’s race day opens then with a warm-up session on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET. The 65-lap, 199.36-mile main event takes the green flag live with new NTT INDYCAR SERIES partner FOX on Sunday live at 3 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying sessions broadcast with INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:David Malukas, No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:“Very excited to get going again after a short break from St. Pete! We were able to spend some time looking through the data we collected to better the car and myself heading into Thermal. From my injury last year, I was never able to race Thermal so this will be a first for me. Lots of new things to look forward to and can’t wait to see what gains we have made!” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:“I’m excited to get back in the cockpit and looking forward to using the Chevy power on this high-speed road course.”  Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“It’s going to be cool going back to Thermal for the first-ever points race at this track. It’s a unique and, honestly, fun place to drive, so I’m looking forward to racing there. We learned a lot from testing there the last two years, so hopefully we should be competitive this weekend. I think we’ve got to nail qualifying to have a shot, but I’m confident that we’ve put together a package that will put us near the front.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“Looking back, St. Pete showed the pace that we have in the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, which is really encouraging heading into Thermal this weekend. The car was strong and we were qualified well, but obviously we didn’t get to make it out of the first lap. I’m looking forward to converting that speed we had into points this weekend. We feel good about our package, so I’m excited to get back out there and fight for a solid result.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“We had a solid start to the season, but as a team, we’re always pushing for me. I think last week’s test at Barber was another good step for us as we keep working to find the right balance in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The team is gelling well together and we get better every time we hit the track. We’re hungry for more in Thermal this weekend, and I’m confident that our hard work will pay off.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:“I am very excited to head to one of the more unique venues on our calendar. Last year’s event at The Thermal Club was just an exhibition, so there is a lot of anticipation as we head back there for a proper points scoring race. As with most first-time events, I don’t think anyone has an idea on what to expect so it’s going to be an intense weekend throughout.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:“Time to go to the desert! I am looking forward going back to The Thermal Club. The team had a successful test out there in the off season and we are confident with the package we’re bringing. Coming off a solid race in St. Pete, we feel like we can produce an even better result at Thermal this weekend!”

2025 Chevrolet by the Numbers:217: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.  122: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.  136: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 140 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather. 337: Podium finishes in the V6 era since 2012. 9: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.  7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.  13: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 6: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. 35: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 56 times since 2012. 29: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.   9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.  46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES THE THERMAL CLUB INDYCAR GRAND PRIX THE THERMAL CLUB THERMAL, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE MARCH 21-23, 2025 TEAM CHEVY SET TO TAKE ON THE THERMAL CLUB IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ SECOND ROUND OF THE 2025 SEASON The second event of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season takes Chevrolet-powered teams and drivers west to The Thermal Club for the first points-paying event at the 3.067-mile track.The Team Chevy drivers and teams of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES have grown familiar to the Southern California facility, first testing there in 2023 and holding the $1 Million Challenge exhibition event in 2024.Chevrolet is looking to be the first manufacturer to score the NTT P1 Pole Award and win in a points-paying competition at The Thermal Club.Overall, Team Chevy has amassed 122 wins and 136 earned NTT P1 Pole Awards in the V6 era of the Series since 2012, in addition to 337 podium finishes. DETROIT (March 20, 2025) – The Team Chevy drivers and teams head west to The Thermal Club for the second round of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season for the first points-paying event at the 3.067-mile raceway. Competing on the Twin Palms layout, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES first tested at the track in 2023, competing last year in the $1 Million Challenge exhibition event. Featuring a set of highly demanding 17 turns, tight corners, long straightaways, and elevation changes, the technical track features a significant challenge for competitors. “The Thermal Club will be a challenge for the second round of the 2025 season,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet INDYCAR Program Manager. “After a solid test earlier this month at Barber, our Chevrolet-powered drivers have a solid foundation to adapt to the natural road course after coming off the Streets of St. Petersburg. The Thermal Club provides a technical challenge to our drivers and teams that sets the stage for a competitive race. We’re looking forward to the weekend.”  The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix first kicks off with Practice 1 on Friday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday sees Practice 2 at 1 p.m. ET, with qualifying and the Firestone Fast Six at 5 p.m. ET, both on FS1. Sunday’s race day opens then with a warm-up session on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET. The 65-lap, 199.36-mile main event takes the green flag live with new NTT INDYCAR SERIES partner FOX on Sunday live at 3 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying sessions broadcast with INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:David Malukas, No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:“Very excited to get going again after a short break from St. Pete! We were able to spend some time looking through the data we collected to better the car and myself heading into Thermal. From my injury last year, I was never able to race Thermal so this will be a first for me. Lots of new things to look forward to and can’t wait to see what gains we have made!” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:“I’m excited to get back in the cockpit and looking forward to using the Chevy power on this high-speed road course.”  Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“It’s going to be cool going back to Thermal for the first-ever points race at this track. It’s a unique and, honestly, fun place to drive, so I’m looking forward to racing there. We learned a lot from testing there the last two years, so hopefully we should be competitive this weekend. I think we’ve got to nail qualifying to have a shot, but I’m confident that we’ve put together a package that will put us near the front.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“Looking back, St. Pete showed the pace that we have in the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, which is really encouraging heading into Thermal this weekend. The car was strong and we were qualified well, but obviously we didn’t get to make it out of the first lap. I’m looking forward to converting that speed we had into points this weekend. We feel good about our package, so I’m excited to get back out there and fight for a solid result.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“We had a solid start to the season, but as a team, we’re always pushing for me. I think last week’s test at Barber was another good step for us as we keep working to find the right balance in the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The team is gelling well together and we get better every time we hit the track. We’re hungry for more in Thermal this weekend, and I’m confident that our hard work will pay off.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:“I am very excited to head to one of the more unique venues on our calendar. Last year’s event at The Thermal Club was just an exhibition, so there is a lot of anticipation as we head back there for a proper points scoring race. As with most first-time events, I don’t think anyone has an idea on what to expect so it’s going to be an intense weekend throughout.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:“Time to go to the desert! I am looking forward going back to The Thermal Club. The team had a successful test out there in the off season and we are confident with the package we’re bringing. Coming off a solid race in St. Pete, we feel like we can produce an even better result at Thermal this weekend!”

2025 Chevrolet by the Numbers:217: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.  122: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.  136: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 140 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather. 337: Podium finishes in the V6 era since 2012. 9: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.  7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.  13: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 6: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. 35: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 56 times since 2012. 29: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.   9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.  46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

BATAVIA, Ohio (March 19, 2025) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing will be back in action this week – Friday, March 21 at Atomic Speedway and Saturday, March 22 at Brownstown Speedway. Drivers will contend for a $15,000 top prize in Friday’s Buckeye Spring 50 at Atomic Speedway. The pit gate will open at 2:00 PM, followed by general admission gates at 4:00 PM. Dirt Draft Hot Laps are slated to begin at 5:00 PM followed by Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and the 50-lap Buckeye Spring 50 finale. Sport Modifieds will also be a support division of the program. Atomic Speedway is located at 2535 Blain Highway in Waverly, Ohio – just off S.R. 23, six miles south of Chillicothe. For more information about Atomic Speedway, including how to purchase discounted tickets in advance, please visit www.atomicspeedway.net.  On Saturday, teams will travel west to the historic Brownstown Speedway. A complete program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is on deck – highlighted by the $25,000-to-win, 50-lap, 28th Annual John Jones Auto Group Indiana Icebreaker. The Pure Stocks and Super Stocks will join the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.  All gates at Brownstown Speedway will open at 12:00 PM, with on-track action set to begin at 5:00 PM with Dirt Draft Hot Laps. Brownstown Speedway is located one mile southeast of Brownstown, Ind., on S.R. 250 at the Jackson County Fairground. To purchase tickets in advance or find more information about Brownstown Speedway, visit the track’s website at www.brownstownspeedway.com. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing has seen four different winners in the first nine events of the 2025 season. Among those victors are the top three in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship – presented by ARP standings – Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran and Ricky Thornton, Jr. Brandon Overton and Daulton Wilson round out the top five in championship standings. For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Buckeye Spring 50: 1. $15,000, 2. $7,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,500, 7. $2,400, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,600, 14. $1,500, 15. $1,400, 16. $1,300, 17. $1,200, 18. $1,100, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000 = $63,400 Indiana Icebreaker: 1. $25,000, 2. $10,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,500, 17. $1,500, 18. $1,500, 19. $1,500, 20. $1,500, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500 = $82,800  Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:March 21 – Atomic SpeedwayLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT2, (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4 March 22 – Brownstown SpeedwayFronts/Left Rear – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4

The second of three-straight tripleheader weekends will see the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series head south to Homestead-Miami Speedway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

The Truck Series will again kick off the weekend under the lights in Friday’s Baptist Health 200, where Chevrolet’s Grant Enfinger will aim to defend his race-winning title at the 1.5-mile oval. On Saturday, Chevrolet will look to make its fifth-straight trip to victory lane in the Xfinity Series with the Hard Rock Bet 300. Finally, the Cup Series will take center stage on Sunday for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 to wrap up the tripleheader weekend.  Chevrolet at Homestead-Miami Speedway: Homestead-Miami Speedway has a 30-year history with NASCAR – hosting its first national series race in Nov. 1995 with the Xfinity Series’ debut event. The South Florida venue’s most notable tenure with NASCAR came in 2002-19, with the track hosting the championship-deciding race for all three divisions for 18 consecutive seasons.

Chevrolet has made seven trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division at Homestead – each earned with a different driver behind the wheel. Among those triumphs include three that also came with a championship including Tony Stewart’s third and final title in 2011; Kevin Harvick’s first title in 2014; and Jimmie Johnson’s record-setting seventh title in 2016. The Bowtie brand’s most recent triumph came with Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson in the debut race for the Next Gen car in Nov. 2022.

In the Xfinity Series, Chevrolet owns nearly half of the series’ wins at Homestead – entering the weekend with 15 wins in 31 races. Of those wins includes back-to-back triumphs by Richard Childress Racing and Tyler Reddick in the series’ season finale race in 2018-19 – also delivering the team a pair of championship titles. The set of triumphs started a string of strong finishes for the Bowtie brand at the South Florida oval, with four different drivers boosting a streak of four-straight trips to victory lane heading into the weekend. Most recently, it was Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill that paid a visit to victory lane at the track (Oct. 2023) – a win that also sealed the team’s berth into the Championship Four.

Chevrolet has tallied seven all-time Truck Series victories at Homestead, with the manufacturer looking to drive to a three-peat in Friday’s 200-mile race. The Bowtie brand’s active streak was kick-started by now full-time Cup Series driver, Carson Hocevar, in Oct. 2023 – a victory that broke a 10-year winless streak at the track for the manufacturer. One year ago, it was CR7 Motorsport’s Grant Enfinger that drove his Chevrolet-powered machine to back-to-back wins in the series’ Round of Eight.

LARSON LOOKING FOR TRIPLEHEADER SWEEPKyle Larson will be the first driver this season to attempt a tripleheader sweep, with the former Cup Series champion set to get behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine in all three NASCAR national series this weekend. Along with his full-time ride in the Cup Series, the 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native will also make his first of two starts of the season in both the Xfinity and Truck Series – taking over the driving duties for No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race and the No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in Friday’s Truck Series race. Larson is a two-time winner in the NASCAR national ranks at Homestead, including the Next Gen car’s debut race at the track in Oct. 2022. In his four career Xfinity Series starts at the South Florida oval, Larson has tallied results no worse than seventh, including a win (Nov. 2015) and three podium finishes. Larson has made just one start in a Spire Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet in the Truck Series – a race that ended in a trip to victory lane (North Wilkesboro; May 2023). The tall task of a tripleheader sweep has only been done by one other driver in NASCAR history – fellow Chevrolet driver, Kyle Busch, who successfully accomplished the feat twice at Bristol Motor Speedway (2010 and 2017).

TALLYING TOP-10SDespite coming up just one spot short of a trip to victory lane in NASCAR’s top division at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet rounded out the weekend with yet another stout representation in the top-10 of the final leaderboard. The manufacturer earned a season-best record of seven top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval, with three different Chevrolet organizations contributing to those results including: Trackhouse Racing with a pair of top-fives; all four Hendrick Motorsports entries in the top-10; and an eighth-place finish for Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger. In four of the five points-paying races this season, Chevrolet has owned at least half of the top-10 finishing positions. Among those races includes five of the top-eight in just the series’ second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with each of those finishes earned by a different Chevrolet organization.

BIGGEST MOVERSWith the NASCAR Cup Series wrapping up the west coast swing, a handful of Chevrolet drivers put together a strong points day to shake up the standings. A pair of drivers made a double-digit jump up the points standings, including Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, who moved up 10 positions in the standings following his season-best runner-up finish. Suarez’s teammate, Ross Chastain, also netted his first top-five finish of the season to inch his way into the top-10 of the points standings. Also leaving Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the top-10 of the points standings was Kyle Larson and the No. 5 Chevrolet team. The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native was among just four drivers who collected points in both stages of the race – ultimately taking the checkered flag for his third top-10 finish of the season. The result was enough to propel him up five positions in the standings – putting all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the top-six positions in the points heading into the Homestead race weekend.

PAGING A NEW POINTS LEADERJR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier will have the opportunity to defend his championship title this season following a trip to victory lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend. In near dominate fashion, the 38-year-old Riverton, Illinois, native piloted his No. 7 Chevrolet to a one-two finish in the stages, going on to lead a race-high 102 laps en route to his first victory of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Allgaier is now the fourth different driver to visit victory lane in just five Xfinity Series races this season, joining his JR Motorsports teammate, Connor Zilisch, and the pair of Richard Childress Racing teammates, Jesse Love and Austin Hill. Allgaier’s race-high 59-point day at the Nevada oval was enough to put him at the top of the series’ points standings heading into the Homestead race weekend. The reigning champion sits 19-markers ahead of fellow Chevrolet driver, Jesse Love, who continues to impress in his sophomore campaign in the series – collecting his series-leading fourth top-10 finish of the season last weekend.

ENFINGER AIMING FOR A REPEATComing off his season-best runner-up finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, CR7 Motorsports’ Grant Enfinger will carry the momentum to a track where he knows how to find victory lane. The 40-year-old Fairhope, Alabama, native returns to Homestead-Miami Speedway as the Truck Series’ defending winner at the track, with the Chevrolet driver being one of just three full-time competitors who is a past winner at the South Florida venue. In just eight career Truck Series starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Enfinger has collected five top-eight results, including back-to-back top-five finishes in his last two appearances at the track.  Among those who also had a strong outing in the series’ last race at Homestead includes McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Connor Mosack and Tyler Ankrum, who each piloted a Chevrolet-powered machine to top-five finishes. For Mosack, Homestead is the site of his career-best Truck Series finish of third, which he earned in the Oct. 2024 event.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series and the Silverado RST pacing the Craftsman Truck Series.  ·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Homestead-Miami Speedway:   Kyle Busch – two wins (2015, 2019)Kyle Larson – one win (2022)William Byron – one win (2021) ·       In 26 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded seven victories, including one triumph in three races in the Next Gen era (Kyle Larson – Oct. 2022).  ·       In 113 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 53 victories – a winning percentage of 46.9%.  ·       With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 867 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.  FOR THE FANS: ·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which will feature an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Colorado Trailboss, Silverado 1500 High Country, Equinox ACTIV, Equinox EV RS, Traverse RS and a Corvette Z06.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: ·       Friday, March 21: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. ·       Saturday, March 22: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. ·       Sunday, March 23: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 400Sunday, March 23, at 3 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)  NASCAR Xfinity SeriesHard Rock Bet 300Saturday, March 22, at 4 p.m. ET(CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesBaptist Health 200Friday, March 21, at 8 p.m. ET(FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletHow do you look at the mile-and-a-half tracks now that you’ve raced at Las Vegas and are going to Homestead-Miami?“It was great to get a top-five at Las Vegas. We had a couple of things that didn’t go our way when it came to cautions versus what we had hoped for with our strategy. We certainly made the best of it though and had a nice recovery. Of course, it’s always easier to recover when the car is fast. Miami is the second mile-and-a-half this season and obviously it’s important to run well at the intermediate tracks because we have so many. So it will be nice to get to Miami and see what we have there too and have a better understanding of how our mile-and-a-half program will be.” Why you look forward to going to Homestead-Miami Speedway?“It’s the closest to home in Alva, just a couple of hours away and I’m going to drive over to the track. The weather in South Florida is beautiful and it’s fun to have so many friends and family at the track. I think Homestead provides some great racing and the ability to run up by the wall. I was there last week for an event at the track and got to meet different people from the community. I enjoy it anytime I get the chance to go to South Florida.” Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Homestead-Miami Speedway?“I look forward to returning to Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’s my favorite track that we race at. Homestead-Miami Speedway is a driver’s racetrack. It’s so much fun to run right up against the fence. You have to be disciplined in how you drive and save your tires. It’s a track that’s been good for me in my career winning a NASCAR Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship. The Miami atmosphere is just one of the things I love about this time of year. There is nice weather, and fans always show up to support NASCAR racing. I can’t wait to get on track in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevrolet.” Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet“We had a good day in Las Vegas and hopefully we can turn that into a solid run this weekend in Homestead. We’re bringing fast cars so we’ll work on trying to build some momentum and putting together some consistent finishes.” Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet“Homestead-Miami Speedway is always a fun racetrack. It lends itself to drivers well because it can be a three, even four lane track as we venture from the bottom all the way to the wall. It’s going to be exciting to have Bank OZK on out No. 8 Chevrolet for the first time, we’re looking forward to giving them a strong run and finish. I’ve always looked forward to going to Homestead. It’s a unique mile-and-a-half. We’ve run well there. I’ve won there. It’s been a great track for me. I’ve won two championships by winning races there.” Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Homestead is one of my favorite tracks just because it’s worn out so much, it’s multi groove and kind of reminds me of my dirt racing background being able to, as a driver, change lanes and kind of change the handling of your car. Also, it’s exciting going back to Homestead where Andrew (Dickeson, crew chief) and AJ (Allmendinger) ran really well there at the end of the year last year. I think we have some good notes and we’re just going try to learn from them. I’m looking forward to going to Homestead with our Sea Best team.”  AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Homestead has been a really good racetrack for us over the last couple years and it’s a track I’ve always enjoyed. We’re coming off a good weekend in Las Vegas and we’ll carry that momentum on to Homestead. I’ve been happy with the speed of our Chevys the last few weeks; if we go there with the same mindset to execute, we have an opportunity to have another really good run.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports ChevroletWith such a strong showing in the Xfinity Series at Homestead and some roller coaster of runs in the Cup Series, how do you feel about Homestead overall as a racetrack?“Homestead was one of my favorite racetracks, by far, for the longest time. Especially in the Xfinity Series. I’ve always had good memories of going down there. Back in the day, that was the championship race, and I won both of mine there in the Xfinity Series. It was a racetrack where I always thought that I would win at and we always had fast cars. Unfortunately, we have just not been able to get that win there yet. I think our last two races at Homestead in the Cup car were decent. We’re improving this year on the cars that we had, so hopefully we’ll get some better finishes.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet“Homestead it’s still one of those racetracks you go to where tires fall off, you slip and slide around, and you work really hard as a driver all race all day long. You have a lot of options, you can run the bottom, run the top or run the top to the bottom. So, you can find where your car works best, you can find clean air, and it’s just one of those tracks that you just drive all day long and it’s a lot of fun.” Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletThe No. 77 has had a lot of speed to start the year. What kind of confidence does that give you this early in the season?“It’s been great. We’ve been faster, we just haven’t finished as good as we should. Last year, I thought we were really good at running decent and finishing really well. Now, we’re running really well and we just have something happen that takes away that finish to match. Having that speed and knowing that we’re good from practice to qualifying to the race definitely builds a lot of confidence for the team. We can work on the things that have kept us from getting those finishes, so I would much rather be super-fast and have issues that take us out and know we can work on it, then have to find speed and hope that we can finish a race.” Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou are carrying Jockey and the American Flag on your car this weekend. Can you tell us about racing full-time in America?“I’ve always dreamed of racing in America, especially in NASCAR, it’s the pinnacle of stock car racing in the entire world. It’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever raced in my career, so I’m putting every effort into driving these cars and racing against these drivers. I’m having a blast doing it. Excited to be behind the wheel of the No. 88 Jockey Chevrolet this weekend and I’m hoping for a great result.” The NASCAR Cup Series schedule has many different varieties of tracks. Are there any ovals in particular that you have earmarked for this year?“I really like the different variety of tracks. It’s a different style of track every week and a new challenge. I think that’s good because it’s not the same style of track every week. I excited for Homestead this weekend. I’ve never been there in a Cup car, so I’m looking forward to seeing what that’s like. Looks like a cool but challenging track.” Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on last week’s second-place finish at Las Vegas?“I was a little disappointed, but the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy team did everything right. The pit crew did an amazing job with the pit stops throughout the race on Sunday. We did everything right with the strategy. Our Chevy was fast, but we just struggled a little bit on the short runs. But overall, just very, very proud of everyone at Trackhouse Racing. The entire organization has been working very hard and it’s showing. Thank you to Chevrolet, Freeway Insurance, Coca-Cola, Quaker State, Jockey Wendy’s, Kubota – all of our partners that help us to get to the track every weekend. It was a solid effort. We hope we can build on it this weekend and keep it going through the season.” What do you remember about winning the Xfinity championship in Homestead in 2016?“I remember I was really speechless. I was just very proud of everyone and thankful to have the family that I have – my mom, my dad. They gave me all the tools to be there. They put me in a car even when we didn’t have the support or the racing background. They supported me and it was like living a dream. Homestead will always be a special place for me.” Do you enjoy Miami?“Yes, this is like a second home to me. Julia, my wife, went to college here and we visit often. I feel at home here. We have lots of fans, so we try to do things to go out and meet everyone. I’d like to put on a show for everyone on Sunday.” Connor Zilisch, No. 88 JR Motorsports ChevroletAfter running well at Las Vegas, are you optimistic about Homestead this weekend?“I feel really good about Homestead. We’ve definitely made gains on what I raced last year. I’m excited to go back there and see if we can make progress with the result. We finished 12th in the Xfinity race last year and kind of struggled a little bit. I feel like we’ve got a bit of a better package going back there. I’m excited to see what we can do when we get to the track.” Are you one of the drivers who likes to run up against the outside wall at Homestead?“I feel comfortable doing it but last year the guy who ran up front and won the race wasn’t really running up there. I’m curious to see if the track migrates to the top next to the fence or if it’s going to be like last year’s race where it was down on the bottom and through the middle. Homestead is such a cool racetrack with so many different lanes to run and a lot of tire fall off and it creates some really good racing. I’m curious to see what the track is going to be like when we get there for practice on Saturday.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2025 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 1Poles: 2Laps Led: 357Top-Fives: 11Top-10s: 25Stage Wins: 3 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 867 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 755Laps led to date: 253,068Top-Fives to date: 4,380Top-10s to date: 9,032                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,201           Chevrolet: 867           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 841                                                                                        Ford: 741           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 192

Media conference transcript ahead of landmark Corvette entry at Long BeachCorvette Z06 GT3.R drivers Robert Wickens and Tommy Milner met with members of the media via Zoom on Thursday afternoon. The pair discussed Wickens’ initial test and upcoming race debut with Corvette at the Grand Prix of Long Beach alongside Corvette Racing factory driver Milner in a DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R equipped with Bosch’s state-of-the-art hand-control braking system.

ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.RGIVE US YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS ON YOUR FIRST TIME IN THE CORVETTE.“So far I feel like a kid on Christmas. It’s been a lot of work so far. Yesterday I got my first taste of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R just before lunch. I got a couple of laps in, we stopped for a lunch break and then kind of hit the ground running in the afternoon. I felt like we finished in a good place yesterday and then thankfully a good night’s rest and a lot of planning ahead of today. So far today has been running super smooth. The biggest takeaway I have so far is that it feels like the Bosch EBS and the hand-control system developed by Pratt Miller belongs in his car. There hasn’t been a single hiccup. It’s like when they designed the Corvette Z06 GT3.R it was always in the plan. It looks like it belongs in the car. It feels like it belongs in the car. Immediately I felt way more comfortable with the braking feeling and braking sensation then I had in my past racing in TCR with the Bosch EBS. It was a massive step forward so hats off to all the men and women at Bosch, Pratt Miller, GM and DXDT Racing for collaborating in making this all possible.” HOW DOES THE CORVETTE COMPARE TO THE FORMULA E CAR YOU TESTED LAST YEAR?“Quite a bit different. The Formula E car was pretty much a temporary hand-control solution where we repurposed the re-gen paddles at the bottom of the steering wheel so one side was for throttle and one side was for braking. It worked but it wasn’t effective. Here, everyone put their heads together and we have a very well-integrated hand-control system where the paddles and everything… the sensation and feeling that I have, whenever I embarked on this journey to race with hand controls, I was always envisioning that hydraulic sensation with my hands when I’m applying the brake. Everyone involved made it happen. When you take a look at it, you’ll see there’s a damper on the top of my brake paddles. We’ve evolved and evolved, and now we’ve changed spring rates… it’s basically like you’re changing suspension settings. We have bump rubbers and packers. It’s teeny tiny things like surgeon work. It’s amazing the feeling that I have and I feel like I’m extracting a lot of pace because of it. The fact that I was straight away comfortable… frankly internally I was concerned that it might take me a little bit to get up to speed. But thankfully that wasn’t the case so far. There’s a lot of work to be done but so far the signs are positive.” HOW MUCH HAS YOUR TIME ON YOUR HOME SIMULATOR COME TO GRIPS WITH THIS NEW CHALLENGE?“I think racing on my home simulator is not only very fun, but it made my dexterity and kind of my resolution of my hand for throttle application in particular just stronger and stronger. After driving this Corvette Z06, I feel like the next step for me is actually to start doing more throttle application with my right hand just to build that muscle memory. Because for people that don’t know, I pretty much do like 98 percent of my throttle application with my left hand. So that way I can freely upshift with my right hand and then brake with my right hand and downshift with the left hand. So with this car, like with Turn Seven at Sebring… there’s a few corners here where I feel like I need to start practicing using throttle with both hands a little bit more. But yeah, the home simulator, it definitely didn’t hurt. Not only is it a lot of fun, but my brake that I use on my home simulator is very different to what we have in the race car. But for throttle purposes, I think it’s very helpful.” ON DRIVING A REAR-WHEEL DRIVE CAR AND USING PAST EXPERIENCE IN SINGLE-SEATERS AND DTM WITH THE CORVETTE GT3.“Yes and no. I feel at home in a rear-wheel-drive car. You know, I feel like I never left in a way. That being said, a TCR car with it being front-wheel drive, a lot of your instability moments it’s all kind of corner entry and mid-corner. By the time you apply throttle, you’re not really fighting the car. So it’s been an interesting adjustment here, trying to maintain a consistent throttle position while the rear is starting to slide or step out a little bit. So that’s taken some getting used to, and I still need to learn that. Sometimes I’ll get a snap oversteer, and I’ll accidentally lift off the throttle completely and just bleed loads of lap time. So, yeah, a lot to work on. But the biggest thing for me is understanding the traction control system that’s in this Corvette Z06 GT3.R because I haven’t really felt traction control for all my career. I’ve done some testing in GT3 from my time at Mercedes and some other stuff in a couple other race cars here and there. But in terms of extracting lap time from a proper traction control system and all the aids and assists that we have inside the car. Still trying to understand kind of what makes it click, because I think when I’m applying throttle, my resolution is not spot on yet. So I think I’m applying like 10 percent throttle, but I’m actually more like 30 percent, 35, 40 percent throttle. And I’m immediately getting traction control intervention, and the car is coping and handling it great and there’s no dramas. But I feel like it’s still catching me by surprise and it’s still something I need to keep working on.” DO YOU KNOW APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY MAN HOURS HAVE GONE INTO DEVELOPING THIS SYSTEM?“More than I’m sure I can imagine. It was a very motivating experience. But every time I was on weekly calls with Pratt Miller developing the controls, the physical paddles and the shapes and the ergonomics of everything, it was some of the busier Zoom meetings I’ve ever participated in. They’re all just all such intelligent people. With Bosch on it, DXDT all on the call, (team owner) David Askew with his engineering background and all being integrated into this build, it didn’t take one person. It took an army. And I think everyone just collaborated perfectly. And every single time I went down to Detroit to Pratt Miller Engineering to see the next 3D printed prototype of the ergonomics of everything, everyone I felt was just very motivated for the challenge. What made me feel great was I could tell that it was a motivation and not a distraction. You know, I feel like when I’ve been trying to get into these categories and trying to make a step into another race car… race teams are efficient operations. It’s not like there’s just a surplus of engineers to just take people and move around. So I was very grateful for the opportunity and, frankly, the timeline that they got it completed on was pretty astounding from start to finish.” ON TOMMY MILNER’S ROLE AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R.“I’m going to be leaning on Tommy exclusively! I think once I finish here today, I’m probably going to try to book him in for a half-day Zoom call or something just to pick his brain on every nuance of the car. From getting to know Tommy a little bit and watching him shake down the car at The Firm around Daytona… he actually drove me from Daytona up to The Firm and back. So I was chewing his ear off and asking loads of questions about the car already then and that’s just going to carry on. “Hopefully he doesn’t get tired of me too soon, but I’m definitely going to be leaning on him for a lot of support because even now it’s this fine line where we’re trying to evolve the brake system and get the braking sensation, the spring rates and also the software side with Bosch and the EBS all dialed into the car. But in parallel I’m also still trying to learn what the car likes and how the car likes to be driven. When I did this in the TCR car, I had driven the TCR car for two years so I knew how to drive it and how to get laptime out so it was just solely trying to get the brake feel to what I wanted. Now it’s kind of a much more foggy experience because I feel like I’m learning both at the same time. We only have basically a day-and-a-half and we’re on to the launch. So there’s only an afternoon left before that’s all I get going into Long Beach. We’re getting through it quick. I did my first full just before lunch hence the sweatiness! But yeah so far so good. I got to kind of feel what a double-stinted Michelin felt like here at Sebring with mid-80s ambient temperature and stuff. These are all things I need to learn for my database because you don’t get an opportunity to test very often. So I’m trying to make sure I have as much information before I start the season.”WAS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS CAR OR ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY OR ABOUT LONG BEACH THAT MADE THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO RETURN TO THE SERIES?“I guess all of the above. Frankly, for me, I wanted to get into the car as soon as possible. If there was a way to have driven the car in (Petit Le Mans) last year, I would have been all over it. The same for Daytona and the same for last weekend in Sebring. But good things take time. I think in the moment, I was frustrated but obviously I respect that you can’t rush something like this. It has to be done properly because also this is the product that I have to now use for the entire 2025 season. If you don’t have a strong foundation, you can just kind of set yourself up for failure. Although I was pushing and pushing and pushing to try to bump the timeline up as much as possible, it was very clear that we weren’t going to make the first two endurance races. With that said, the original plan was to debut at Laguna Seca, and we were able to bump it up to start in Long Beach. So I feel like that’s already a win in itself. “In terms of the car, it just took a group of people to believe that this is possible. I feel like when I was speaking to other teams, everyone thought it was a good idea. But it took David Askew at DXDT to take the leap of faith and say ‘You know what? I want to do this.’ And then we aligned with Pratt Miller, Bosch was already on my side, and they were fully supporting it, and then the fine people at General Motors all basically pulling together and saying ‘You know, let’s give this a shot and see what it can do.’ And I understand, I have a pretty small sample group of races in 2025 to try and prove myself, but my goal is to be a full-time staple in the IMSA WeatherTech Series for 2026 in the future.” THESE COMPANIES ARE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF RACING SERIES. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHAT YOU’RE LEARNING NOW CAN BE APPLIED POTENTIALLY TO OTHER SERIES?“One hundred percent. What we’re learning here today can transfer into any race car and then hopefully down the road what we’re developing with the electronic braking system from Bosch, opportunities are endless that maybe this can evolve into road safety and into everyday road vehicles and accessibility in road vehicles. I feel like the opportunities are endless, but short-term we need to perfect this system here in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. We’ll have to wait and see. The way Pratt Miller developed the actual brake control that I apply, it mounts to the steering column independent of the steering wheel. The steering wheel that Tommy will be driving or any other teammate that I drive with in this Corvette, it’s the exact same steering wheel that they always know. There’s just a bit of luggage on the backside. What’s great about it is in theory it can mount to virtually any steering column as long as you have the right bolt pattern. It actually fits the space of a steering spacer that would be on the steering column to change how close or far away the steering wheel would be to the driver. It was a very intuitive design and honestly sets up for future-proofing. If there’s other car opportunities where my paddles that I use could actually be transferable from car to car. That way I’m not learning the ergonomics of new controls every time I drive something different.” AS EACH STEP HAS COME FOR YOU IN THIS PROCESS, WHERE DOES THIS RANK FOR YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR GROWTH AND YOUR COMEBACK? DO YOU HAVE THINGS LEFT THAT YOU’D LIKE TO TRY?“I think there’s a lot of things left. My goal from the outset of this was to get back to the highest levels of motorsport again. I’ve always seen that the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the highest level of sports car racing here in North America. Aligning myself with someone like General Motors and DXDT Racing, it was just the perfect fit. It would be a dream if I could call it a 10-year career here in the IMSA WeatherTech series racing against the best drivers in the world and one of the best series in the world.“In terms of what’s left, there’s always opportunity. But my goal is always to get to the highest levels and I feel like I’m here. So the next step is to become a week-in, week-out staple of the series and make sure I can get myself to a full-time position for 2026 and then start fighting for championships. Hopefully we can challenge for race wins and podiums here this year. There’s no Sprint championship in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship, so we’re going to have to wait a year, hopefully go full-time and then try to make a full run at it. In terms of what’s left, I don’t know. It’s kind of a fun part of my career right now. With the help of Bosch, I feel like there are more opportunities than I thought I would have 12 to 24 months ago.” THE WAY YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT IMSA, DO YOU CONSIDER THIS LIKE YOU’VE MADE IT AND YOU’VE COME BACK?“I think this is a big step. For me to officially get that fulfillment, I want to be a full-time contender in the WeatherTech Series. Honestly taking the green flag in Long Beach is going to be an enormous step forward in my career and my journey back to the highest levels. Basically you could say ‘We did it. We’re racing against the best cars and the best drivers in the whole sports car industry’. So I want to win championships for myself, for General Motors, for DXDT. There’s still some work to be done. I think you could say it’s definitely a massive box to check, probably the biggest box that we could check off so far in my return.” ON THE WORK DONE DURING THE TEST AT SEBRING.“It’s been a lot. It’s been a long 36 hours. The big thing is getting acclimated into the car was kind of job Number One. Honestly, Bosch did so much preparation ahead of this that there wasn’t a whole lot. The first run with the system… if that was all I had and there was no tunability, I wouldn’t have been upset about it. We started off in such a great window where I kind of just got to figure out the race car. “We’re not doing a whole lot of setup work, but thankfully with the Sebring 12 Hours just finishing, the car feels great. We’re in a great balance window. DXDT was so quick on the weekend. They nearly had a shot at a podium there at the end. Yesterday morning, we had Spencer Pigot shake down the car and do some initial tests and installations because this was actually the first time that the Bosch EBS was integrated into the DXDT Corvette. We wanted to make sure that everything just worked according to plan, and they wanted an able-bodied person to do the initial shakedowns and the initial baseline run just to make sure that if there was an issue, they had the ability to apply brakes to get the car back safely. I got my first run in just before lunch yesterday… a little six-lap run to get a taste and then look at some data over lunch and hit the ground running in the afternoon. “Today’s been a lot more intense. An 8:30 start and basically never got out of the car for most of the morning. I got my first taste of a long run with double-stinted tires to see what the car behaves like. Like we talked about, this is my only test for the whole year and we want to make sure that I have as many tools on my belt as possible so there’s no surprises once we get into Long Beach or further down the road. The best thing about Sebring is a lot of these apex and exit curves are not super friendly. So you can kind of treat them like walls. So in terms of getting used to Long Beach, that’s been good. The apex at Turn One is a wall, so that’s pretty good too. So I feel like there’s a lot of stuff that we’re learning here that I can take with me to Long Beach. But then also the high-speed corners here in Sebring, like Turn One, I’m trying to think of how the car wants to act when I think down the road for Laguna Seca or Road America or Canadian Tire Motorsport Park where it’s a fast-flowing, committed track. We’re getting through it. We have another busy afternoon ahead of us with a lot of work to be had.” WHAT ARE YOU ANTICIPATING BEING THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES AT LONG BEACH FOR YOU?“I don’t know yet, to be honest. I think I won’t know until I’m in there. I mean, best-case scenario, I do my first runs and I’m only a handful of tenths off of Tommy and we’re in a window where we can keep chipping away. Until I’m in that environment, it’s hard to tell. For me, I’m just continuing to get used to the car here in Sebring and try to do as much preparation as possible and then just kind of see where we are.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.RTELL US ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU AND ROBBIE HAVE HERE TOGETHER AND WHAT YOU’VE SEEN OUT OF HIM.“It’s super exciting for me to be a part of this effort with DXDT Racing and with Robbie in his first race in the Corvette. As Rob mentioned, I had the opportunity to drive The Firm after The Roar in the kind of initial shakedown of the Bosch EBS system in the Corvette. I obviously know who Robbie is and I followed his career for a long time. He had raced Formula BMW just before I had a long time ago. So I knew the name and kind of followed his career as time went on. You can tell that he’s still a racer at heart. And like he said, he was picking my brain about the Corvette constantly. More than anything, I’m excited to go back to Long Beach to join DXDT Racing again and then help Robbie here in his first race get up to speed with the Corvette.“From what I’ve heard already from some of the team down there, he’s already quite quick. If the team has put him on some double-stint tires and full tanks, he’s already kind of experienced probably the worst of what the Corvette is going to feel like, just based on our experience this last weekend at Sebring. Super-excited for him and super-excited for DXDT. It’s a cool opportunity for me as well to be a part of that with him and to go back to Long Beach again and go racing there again.” HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS PROGRAM TO SOMEONE WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND HOW DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR ROLE?“In Robbie’s case he has to do all of his driving with his hands, with him being paralyzed from the chest down. So he has no use of his feet. So this system is basically set up so that he can do all that with the steering wheel itself. There’s a brake ring and there are throttle paddles that take the place of what I would normally use in the pedal box. Those are some of the common questions that I’ve heard about this system when I’ve told people who know a little bit about racing but not this situation. “The system is quite impressive with how it functions and how it works. With just one push of a button, the system switches from the able-bodied driver controls to the hand controls, which obviously is important for sports car racing where we have driver changes. It’ll be especially important at Long Beach as we’ve always talked about the driver change being a pretty important part of the race because that typically ends up being kind of the limiting factor in the pit stop. The tires and the fuel typically take a little bit less than that time (to do a driver change). Robbie obviously comes from a place where he has the sports car racing experience, where he’s had to do those driver changes. From that side, there’s no real limitations, so to speak. He knows what he needs to get out of the car.“But fundamentally, everything happens on the wheel. And it’s a system that took me initially a little while to sort of understand in my own brain… how it is supposed to work, how to find laptime out of it and things like that. But the system is set up quite well to where by the end of the second day of testing that I had in the car to prove the system a bit, I was able to find quite a bit of lap time and get closer to what I was capable of with the normal able-bodied setup. So for someone like Robbie, who has as much racing experience as he does, as good as he was and still is, you can tell just from talking to him how focused he is on doing what he’s always done, which is drive race cars very fast. The system is designed to allow that to happen for him. His drive and determination are pretty incredible. It’s pretty inspiring to see that and I’m excited to go racing with him at Long Beach. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO HOW YOU TYPICALLY CLIMB INTO THE CAR WITH THE MODIFICATIONS?“No. The car will, for me, feel as if it’s the same Corvette that I’ve been in for many years. Like Robbie talked about, there’s a little bit more going on behind the wheel. But when I’m driving, I basically won’t even know that it’s there. Obviously that was done on purpose and done with the intention of making it as easy to use for Robbie, but also as easy to use for myself, essentially. So in practice and in reality, there should be no obvious signs other than an extra button box, that this Corvette is any different than any other Corvette that I’ve driven.” WHEN YOU WERE PRESENTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY, HOW DID YOU LOOK AT IT? WAS IT A CHALLENGE? WAS IT AN OPPORTUNITY? WAS IT AN HONOR?“All of those things. More than anything, I would say an honor because I’ve met Robbie a couple of times over the years in the past and now have spent a lot more time with him recently just after Daytona. You can tell why he is successful in racing, why he was so successful prior to his incident as well. He’s just super focused on getting the most out of himself, out of the car team, that kind of thing. For me to be part of that story and that process, and hopefully give him a good foundation to do the next four races in IMSA this year, I do look at it as a challenge as well. I want to help him as best as I can, give him as much of the knowledge and information that I’ve gathered over the years driving this Corvette to give him the best opportunity to be successful.” ON THE BRAKE SYSTEM SETUPS. “When the car is in the able-bodied mode, it will feel just like every other Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The way that the system is set up – I’m not as technically advanced as maybe I should be with the system, and Robbie probably knows a lot more than I do – they’re essentially sort of like separate systems. When the able-bodied system is active, the pedal feels the same, throttle pedal and all that feels the same, and the steering wheel feels all the same. When the hand-control system is activated, then it goes through the EBS system, and then Robbie has his own brake bias, so the system will function slightly different in that way where if he needs a certain brake feel or brake distribution then it can be custom tuned so to speak for him. He can adjust that on the fly just like I would be able to with the normal hydraulic system. So when I’m driving the car it feels just like every other Corvette that I’ve driven before and when he’s driving it, it’s tuned for what he needs.” YOU SAY THE CAR IS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CORVETTE, SO DOES THAT MEAN THERE’S REALLY NO WEIGHT DIFFERENCE IN WHERE WEIGHT IS FOR THIS SYSTEM?“I’m sure there’s more weight in the car. I don’t know how much more the system actually weighs, but I was talking about the sense of my experience when I sit in the car, when I’m driving the race car with the normal controls. It all feels just like the car that I currently race in IMSA. The pedal feels the same. The steering wheel feel is the same. There’s an emergency hydraulic brake that sits on the center tunnel there. That would be different. But again when I was doing my testing with the normal controls, there was nothing about that experience that I was driving that was something different about this car.” ON GETTING TO KNOW ROBERT WICKENS MORE.“For him to go through what he went through and with his drive and determination to get back in a race car again and be competitive and win races, that’s something that can be an inspiration for anybody. Anybody who’s gone through some sort of hardship like he has it’s what you make of your life and that situation. You can tell that it does change parts of his life. But the one thing that he doesn’t want it to change realistically is him driving race cars and driving them as fast as he does. To see that in person, that drive and determination and just never-give-up attitude that he has, it’s inspiring. I’m excited to race with him and see on a race weekend that part of him that I can tell that he has. To see that really come out, is going to be something exciting.” GOALS FOR THE LONG BEACH RACE.“I can probably answer for myself and for Robbie. I’ll bet you a win is going to be the goal, and I certainly think that’s possible. The Corvette has been fast in the past at Long Beach. His time in the car here at Sebring is going to be super important, and he knows the racetrack at Long Beach. He knows how to go sports car racing now, that’s for sure. It’ll certainly be a lot to take in. It’s a lot happening. It’s a short weekend. There’s not a lot of practice. From that side, you know all of the obstacles that are in the way of making that happen. Like I said, I have no doubt that he has the drive and determination to get the most out of himself fundamentally too. There’s still a bit of learning, of course. It’ll be new for him in some ways, first time in the race with this car. I also think the weekend goals-wise will be to help set himself up and the team up for a successful rest of the season as well. It’s not a checkers or wreckers kind of thing. It’s definitely going to be about getting the best result that we can, but I’m certainly not counting out a win.” ON FAMILIARITY WITH DXDT RACING AND INTEGRATION INTO IMSA.“I know this was a goal of David Askew’s for a long time. It’s a big accomplishment from his side and from the team side to be here in IMSA this year and prove to themselves and obviously everybody else in the paddock that they’re a team that belongs here, that can be successful and can win races. “From my side, on race weekends you do keep some touch with other teams and other drivers. I would say more so for me with DXDT than others just because of having driven for them a little bit last year. My sister is the team manager there, and I’m good friends with Bryan Sellers, as well. So there’s lots of reasons for me to kind of check in on them. My brother-in-law is crew chief, so there’s a lot of people there that I’m close with and want to see succeed. Based on Sebring, they put themselves in a great position to potentially win the race. The podium, I think, was really on the table for them. So there was some heartbreak to see that all kind of fall away in the last five minutes or so of the race. But I think ultimately that’s motivating for them to know that they’re doing all the right things and even more motivating to finally get that big first result for them when it comes.”

It’s an eight race, five track, five state slate next month for The Greatest Show on Dirt

CONCORD, NC (March 19, 2025) – They call the Midwest the “Heartland” of the United States of America. If that’s the case, The Greatest Show on Dirt will be the lifeblood of the region’s Sprint Car scene throughout April.

It’s all about the Midwest for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars next month. An eight-race slate at five tracks in five states takes the tour through the region’s reaches. There’s plenty of variety along the way with “The Sprint Car Capital of the World,” can’t miss bullrings, and more along the way.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Arrowhead Speedway | Jason Johnson Classic presented by FK Rod Ends (April 4-5): The month begins with the race that honors one of the best men to ever grace the World of Outlaws pit area, the “Ragin’ Cajun.”

For the second year in a row, the Jason Johnson Classic takes place at Colcord, OK’s Arrowhead Speedway. The top notch “Sooner State” facility first welcomed the World of Outlaws last year when Sheldon Haudenschild became the sixth different winner through six Jason Johnson Classics.

The event grows to two days in 2025 as Arrowhead brings The Greatest Show on Dirt to town for a full weekend of action.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

VIDEO RECAP (April 6, 2024):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlKAiBjBCbg

I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park | Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic (April 11-12): The World of Outlaws make a spring stop at the newly rebranded I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, MO. The bullring just south of St. Louis never fails to produce some of the most intense action of the season.

I-55 has become a staple of the tour with 75 World of Outlaws visits in the history books, good enough for seventh all-time. The April weekend doubles as a precursor to August’s highly anticipated Ironman 55. Last year, David Gravel and Donny Schatz split spring victories.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

VIDEO RECAP (April 13, 2024):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNl2RonPE4E

Knoxville Raceway | World of Outlaws Premier Chevy Dealers Clash (April 18-19): It’s never too early to make a stop at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World,” and the tour is set for its first April racing in Knoxville since 2012.

The Premier Chevy Dealers Clash also serves as the iconic Knoxville Raceway’s season opener for 2025. Before the action gets going on Friday, fans can stop by for a free-to-attend practice on Thursday night. You can never get enough laps around the Iowa half mile before the NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s arrives in August.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

VIDEO RECAP (June 14, 2024):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqWG33M6Sm0

Jacksonville Speedway | World of Outlaws Hy-Vee Perks 40 (April 25): Last season, Jacksonville Speedway delivered the race of the year, and fans can expect the Illinois oval to be in the running for that honor once again in 2025.

Everything about the 1/4-mile dirt bullring lends itself to thrilling racing. Size, shape, banking, you name it. It’s non-stop, wheel-to-wheel action at Jacksonville. David Gravel out-dueled Kyle Larson in a wild, green-to-checkered battle in 2024.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

VIDEO RECAP (May 1, 2024):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKQhtp8mO-0&t=65s

Tri-State Speedway | World of Outlaws Haubs Town Showdown (April 26): It’s from one bullring to another when the World of Outlaws leave Jacksonville and journey to Haubstadt, IN where Tri-State Speedway awaits.

“The Class Track” is the tour’s lone stop in the “Hoosier State” for 2025. The paperclip-shaped oval has been regularly hosting World of Outlaws races since the Series’ sophomore season in 1979. Brady Bacon has topped the last two Tri-State trips.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

VIDEO RECAP (April 20, 2024):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdAAh7hMwM

If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap in April and all season long live on DIRTVision.

The loss of a front wheel and subsequent hard impact into the barriers at the Trans Am season opener at Sebring late last month not only cost Chris Dyson a top finish in that race, but residual injuries sustained in the wreck have forced Dyson to withdraw from this weekend’s race at Road Atlanta. Standing in for Dyson in the #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang will be veteran driver Matthew Brabham. “I’m extremely disappointed that I’m not sufficiently fit to drive this weekend. Thankfully there’s no lasting damage. I gave myself a window to get back to load bearing exercises and my muscles weren’t there yet,” Dyson said. “I know how I need to prepare in order to compete and it is going to take a little more time. It’s the right decision for me and for the team. As you know, Road Atlanta is a favorite track of mine, one where I’ve been successful both in the Trans Am and other series. But I’m grateful that Matty is available to drive the car. I will be there with Matty and the team at the track all weekend and expect him to be in the fight for the race win.” This isn’t the first time that Brabham has been called on to provide support to CD racing. Over the course of the 2021, ’22 and ’23 seasons Brabham started 11 races for CD Racing, winning five times – including his first start for the team at Circuit of the Americas – and finishing on the podium in every race but two. He has remained with the team since in a testing and reserve capacity. “I’m glad I was available this weekend to fill in for Chris,” Brabham said. “I haven’t driven the Riley chassis since the middle of 2023 and I know the team has made some big steps forward with the car since then. So I am looking forward to helping the team. I know the Dyson team well. They are great guys to work with, so I expect I’ll be up to speed right away. I’ll do my best to bring home a win.” For more on Chris Dyson Racing. Road Atlanta Schedule Qualifying takes place Friday, March 25, 5:35 PM – 5:50 PM ET The 100-mile race takes the green flag Saturday, March 26, at 12:45 PM ET Broadcast Schedule The race will be live-streamed on both SpeedTour.TV and the SpeedTour TV YouTube channel.