(Chase Saathoff (88), Kage Tadman (228), Evan Renshaw (65), Tom Drane (59), and other Main Event riders round turn one in Ventura this past Saturday; Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 30, 2025) – The AFT Singles presented by KICKER class arrives at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, this Saturday, May 3, for the Silver Dollar Short Track, Round 5 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, with a renewed sense of unpredictability.  This past weekend’s Ventura Short Track not only saw the category’s first winner not named Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F), Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) or Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R) in more than 23 months, that winner was a rider making his professional debut.  Encore! Encore!   Kage Tadman (No. 228 Old Oak Ranch/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) became just the fourth rider in AFT Singles history to win in his maiden attempt. Of those who did it before him, only future Grand National Champion Brad Baker finished better than 10th in his follow-up performance, finishing second in his next attempt.  Tadman’s performance this weekend will be of keen interest to the paddock and the sport’s fans at large after he thoroughly outshined a talent-laden grid at Ventura Raceway. The 17-year-old Salinas, California, native was clearly more comfortable with a tricky surface than his new adversaries, both willing and able to exploit a higher line and push in a way no one else could.  Just how much of that was down to his innate talent (which, as a six-time Amateur National Grand Champion is no doubt considerable) and how much was due to a familiar track perfectly suited to his skill set remains undetermined. This weekend in Chico will shed a great deal more light on that.  Championship Focus  While Tadman stole the spotlight last weekend, Saathoff and Drane continued to jockey for championship positioning.   Saathoff continued his recent roll, bettering his Australian rival for the third consecutive race after failing to do so in the previous six races dating back to last season. Despite the shift, Drane continues to lead in the title fight, albeit by just two points (68-66) as they resume their fight at Silver Dollar Speedway.  Speaking of 2024, the Silver Dollar Short Track was one of two critical races that saw Drane come out the worst of an incident involving Saathoff that ultimately cost him the #1 plate. That, combined with his rival’s momentum, the end of his record-setting nine-race podium streak, and a winless 2025 campaign to date, likely has Drane plenty motivated despite his position atop the standings.  Incidentally, the Estenson Racing ace has not gone more than four races without a victory since the opening six races of his first full Progressive AFT season in 2023.  Re-establishing the Established Order  While Tadman was the one to finally succeed in toppling the pecking order – for one weekend at least – there have been hints that others are ready to join the party at the front.  Last weekend, fellow Californian Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) joined Tadman in success – both by finishing on the podium and ahead of Drane. The third-place result was much needed after Santero struggled to find his footing in the opening three races of a ‘25 campaign saddled by lofty expectations.  Senoia ST podium finisher Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) and fellow class sophomore Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) have the requisite talent to push for wins as well.  Meanwhile, it seems only a matter of time before Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) strikes considering he’s won races in all four of his previous seasons in the class.  There’s More…  If nothing else, Tadman reminded the dirt track world that anything can happen on any given weekend in AFT Singles competition.  Among the other riders to track this weekend include Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R), who was consistently strong this past weekend en route to an eventual sixth, and Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), who not only featured near the top of the leaderboards at Ventura but whose four-wheeled background has served him well at iconic auto racing venues in the past.  Fun for the Family  The incredible race action won’t be the only attraction for fans. Along with the Fan Party, complete with a Rider Q&A session, that directly precedes Opening Ceremonies, attendees can also expect a multitude of vendors, big screen viewing, designated motorcycle parking, and a variety of food and beverage options.  Step Right Up… Get Your Tickets Here  General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Silver Dollar Short Track are just $40 (kids 12 and under free) while Pit Grandstand tickets ($50, all ages), Reserved Grandstand tickets ($60, all ages), and Trackside Box tickets ($85, all ages) offer premium viewing experiences. And new for 2025, every level of ticket automatically includes paddock access.  Also available for purchase is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($105), which includes reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photos opps included, and up-close viewing of Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.  Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/silver-dollar-short-track-123441 to reserve your seats today.  Gates will open for fans at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

When Josh Berry and the No. 21 Ford Mustang team hit the track this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, they’ll be sporting a fresh look and a lot to race for this weekend in Texas. The Würth Group, a global leader in assembly and fastening materials, will debut as the primary sponsor on Berry’s No. 21 Ford Mustang for Sunday’s race, which also carries the Würth name as the event’s title sponsor — the Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY. Featuring a bold red, white and black design, the Würth machine will stand out as Berry takes on the 1.5-mile Texas oval. “It’s always exciting to welcome a new partner to the team, and having Würth join us for the Würth 400 makes it even more special,” said Berry. “The car looks awesome – it’s a clean, aggressive design that really stands out. I’m looking forward to getting to Texas and hopefully putting together a strong run.” The team heads to the Lone Star State looking to bounce back after a strong showing at Talladega Superspeedway slipped away late. With speed and execution continuing to show, the group is eager to reset and put together a complete weekend in Fort Worth. Texas Motor Speedway’s unique configuration presents its own set of challenges, with each end of the track demanding a different approach — something Berry is well aware of heading into Sunday’s race. “It’s definitely a unique layout. Each end of the track is so drastically different that part of the problem is it’s very hard to get your car really balanced on both ends,” said Berry, who has six total NASCAR national series starts at the track. “Turn one is much slower with less banking, and getting off turn two is really important because it sets you up to carry all that momentum through three and four. To be good in one and two, you’ll have your hands full in three and four just with the speed. The sketchiness of it is going through three nearly wide-open. That makes it a handful.” Sunday’s Würth 400 is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

April 30, 2025 — BIRMINGHAM, AL

• Reigning and three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou’s #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to feature HRC branding for Barber Motorsports Park round
• The HRC Honda machine will race in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix May 4th
• The collaboration celebrates the success of the CGR and Honda partnership, while also bringing awareness to the new HRC US performance parts business

The current NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship leader, Alex Palou, will have a new look for the 2025 Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix this weekend as his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda will sport a Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) livery.

The HRC livery is the same one previously run by Yuki Tsunoda at the HRC crossover event in Las Vegas last fall—an event in which Tsunoda, coached by CGR racer and six-time IndyCar champ Scott Dixon, got behind the wheel of an IndyCar for the first time.

Now, it will be Palou’s turn to take the striking red, white and blue livery to the track as he tries for his fourth win in three races to start the 2025 season—following victories at St. Petersburg and Thermal and a second-place finish at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The strong start to the year has Palou 34 points ahead in the championship as he looks for his third title in a row and fourth in just five years.

The three titles with Alex Palou and four of Dixon’s six titles make up just part of the 14 total championships Honda has scored with Chip Ganassi Racing. Other Honda-CGR championship winners include Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti.

In addition to celebrating the success Honda and Chip Ganassi Racing have had over the years, the livery brings awareness to the new HRC US business ventures announced in the last six months. This includes the HRC performance parts business which debuted at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas last November, and will feature genuine HRC parts for Acura and Honda road cars. Meanwhile, the HRC Originals clothing line was launched at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach earlier this month.

Quotes

David Salters (President, Honda Racing Corporation USA): “We are excited to be the primary partner on the #10 CGR Honda at Barber Motorsports Park. We’ve had a very successful long-term partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing and both of us have seen a lot of success from that collaboration. Alex Palou has done an incredible job the last few years and to kick off this 2025 season and coming on board the No. 10 car seemed liked a great opportunity for visibility around the HRC brand and our new performance parts business.”

Chip Ganassi (Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing): “Over the years, we have had many successes working with Honda, winning multiple championships and Indianapolis 500s. We are looking forward to partnering with them at Barber on the No. 10, and hope Alex and the team will continue their successful start to the year.”

(Chase Saathoff (88), Kage Tadman (228), Evan Renshaw (65), Tom Drane (59), and other Main Event riders round turn one in Ventura this past Saturday; Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 30, 2025) – The AFT Singles presented by KICKER class arrives at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, this Saturday, May 3, for the Silver Dollar Short Track, Round 5 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, with a renewed sense of unpredictability.  This past weekend’s Ventura Short Track not only saw the category’s first winner not named Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F), Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) or Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R) in more than 23 months, that winner was a rider making his professional debut.  Encore! Encore!   Kage Tadman (No. 228 Old Oak Ranch/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) became just the fourth rider in AFT Singles history to win in his maiden attempt. Of those who did it before him, only future Grand National Champion Brad Baker finished better than 10th in his follow-up performance, finishing second in his next attempt.  Tadman’s performance this weekend will be of keen interest to the paddock and the sport’s fans at large after he thoroughly outshined a talent-laden grid at Ventura Raceway. The 17-year-old Salinas, California, native was clearly more comfortable with a tricky surface than his new adversaries, both willing and able to exploit a higher line and push in a way no one else could.  Just how much of that was down to his innate talent (which, as a six-time Amateur National Grand Champion is no doubt considerable) and how much was due to a familiar track perfectly suited to his skill set remains undetermined. This weekend in Chico will shed a great deal more light on that.  Championship Focus  While Tadman stole the spotlight last weekend, Saathoff and Drane continued to jockey for championship positioning.   Saathoff continued his recent roll, bettering his Australian rival for the third consecutive race after failing to do so in the previous six races dating back to last season. Despite the shift, Drane continues to lead in the title fight, albeit by just two points (68-66) as they resume their fight at Silver Dollar Speedway.  Speaking of 2024, the Silver Dollar Short Track was one of two critical races that saw Drane come out the worst of an incident involving Saathoff that ultimately cost him the #1 plate. That, combined with his rival’s momentum, the end of his record-setting nine-race podium streak, and a winless 2025 campaign to date, likely has Drane plenty motivated despite his position atop the standings.  Incidentally, the Estenson Racing ace has not gone more than four races without a victory since the opening six races of his first full Progressive AFT season in 2023.  Re-establishing the Established Order  While Tadman was the one to finally succeed in toppling the pecking order – for one weekend at least – there have been hints that others are ready to join the party at the front.  Last weekend, fellow Californian Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) joined Tadman in success – both by finishing on the podium and ahead of Drane. The third-place result was much needed after Santero struggled to find his footing in the opening three races of a ‘25 campaign saddled by lofty expectations.  Senoia ST podium finisher Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) and fellow class sophomore Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) have the requisite talent to push for wins as well.  Meanwhile, it seems only a matter of time before Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) strikes considering he’s won races in all four of his previous seasons in the class.  There’s More…  If nothing else, Tadman reminded the dirt track world that anything can happen on any given weekend in AFT Singles competition.  Among the other riders to track this weekend include Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R), who was consistently strong this past weekend en route to an eventual sixth, and Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F), who not only featured near the top of the leaderboards at Ventura but whose four-wheeled background has served him well at iconic auto racing venues in the past.  Fun for the Family  The incredible race action won’t be the only attraction for fans. Along with the Fan Party, complete with a Rider Q&A session, that directly precedes Opening Ceremonies, attendees can also expect a multitude of vendors, big screen viewing, designated motorcycle parking, and a variety of food and beverage options.  Step Right Up… Get Your Tickets Here  General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Silver Dollar Short Track are just $40 (kids 12 and under free) while Pit Grandstand tickets ($50, all ages), Reserved Grandstand tickets ($60, all ages), and Trackside Box tickets ($85, all ages) offer premium viewing experiences. And new for 2025, every level of ticket automatically includes paddock access.  Also available for purchase is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($105), which includes reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photos opps included, and up-close viewing of Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.  Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/silver-dollar-short-track-123441 to reserve your seats today.  Gates will open for fans at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.  How to Watch  FloRacing  For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2025. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.  FS1  FOX Sports coverage of the Silver Dollar Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 11, at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT).  For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

BATAVIA, Ohio (April 29, 2025) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing is poised to launch an exciting and lucrative month of May with a doubleheader in Indiana and Kentucky. Circle City Raceway welcomes the nation’s top dirt late model drivers for the first time in the tour’s history on Friday, May 2. The event will feature a complete program of Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $15,000-to-win main event. Additionally, the EDCO Welding Crown Vics and Super Stocks will compete on Friday night. The pit gates will open at 4:00 PM, followed by the general admission gates at 5:00 PM, and Hot Laps will begin at 7:00 PM. Circle City Raceway is conveniently located at 7300 East Troy Avenue on the Marion County Fairgrounds just off I-465 in Indianapolis, IN. To purchase tickets in advance or find additional information, please visit www.circlecityraceway.com.  From there, competitors will make the drive southeast to Union, KY. Teams are vying for a $25,000 prize in the 39th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence Speedway on Saturday. Likewise, the event will feature a complete program of Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $25,000-to-win main event. The pit gate opens at 2:00 PM on Saturday, and the main and back gates open at 5:00 PM. Hot laps begin at 7:00 PM. In addition to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, the Pro Late Models and Modifieds. Florence Speedway is located in Northern Kentucky off Interstate 71/75, approximately 25 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. Take KY exit 180 off I-71/75; west on US 42, nine miles to the track on the left. To purchase advanced tickets or find more information, visit www.florencespeedway.com.  Following back-to-back victories in the northeast, Ricky Thornton Jr. has returned to the top of the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP standings. Devin Moran is second, followed by Jonathan Davenport, Garrett Alberson, and Brandon Overton, completing the top five. The Sunoco Road to Wheatland, the first of four bonus rounds in the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP standings, continues. The Sunoco Road to Wheatland is a long-standing incentive that awards cash bonuses to the top 15 drivers in the series’ point standings at the Show-Me 100 in May. The series point leader will earn a $2,500 bonus at the Show-Me 100, while those finishing 2nd through 15th in the series point standings will receive cash prizes from the $16,000 bonus pool that Sunoco is distributing. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing Purses:Circle City Raceway – May 2: 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 Florence Speedway – May 3: 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 presented by FloRacing Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3 Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4

CONCORD, NC (April 29, 2025) – CBS will bring viewers across the country down the road to World of Outlaws World Finalswith a new hour-long special on Saturday, May 3, at 1 p.m. (ET).

The documentary special, All Dirt Roads Lead to World of Outlaws World Finals, will highlight the journey to the championship finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision and the Super DIRTcar Series.

Starting at Volusia Speedway Park, during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, the yearlong season for the three premier dirt racing series takes them all around the United States and Canada before finishing the season in Concord, NC for a four-day event like no other.

The 2024 edition of World Finals saw wild racing, the iconic 3X4 Parade Lap, and history made across the three series. David Gravel won his first World of Outlaws Sprint Car title and became the 11th champion in Series history. Brandon Sheppard claimed his fifth World of Outlaws Late Model championship, becoming the winningest champion in Series history. And Mat Williamson earned his second Super DIRTcar Series title, joining an elite list of multi-time champions with the Series.

Along with the on-track excitement, the show will also highlight the biggest stars of the three series, the key people involved with the event and what makes World Finals one of the biggest events of the year off-track, too.

The show will run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, marking the World of Outlaws’ fourth time on the main CBS network.

For the remainder of the year, fans will also get to watch World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision and Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota events from the 2025 season throughout the year on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN), presented in a half-hour special.

If you miss the All Dirt Roads Lead to World of Outlaws World Finals special, it will re-air on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, May 4, at 6 p.m. (ET).

To learn more about the World of Outlaws World Finals, and to get tickets to the event, Nov. 5-8, visit alldirtroads.com.

ONLINE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/news/all-dirt-roads-lead-to-cbs-on-may-3/

FOUNTAIN CITY, WI (April 29, 2025) – Mississippi Thunder Speedway has only been on the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision calendar for four years, but it’s already become a favorite of drivers and fans alike.

The late-spring visit to southwest Wisconsin will further establish itself as one of the premier weekends in dirt Late Model racing in 2025, as the winner of the Dairyland Showdown finale on Saturday night will take home a record-breaking $75,000 top prize.

The first two nights of racing on Thursday and Friday will both include full programs culminating with a 30-lap, $10,000-to-win, Feature. The “Every Lap Matters” format will be used on both preliminary nights, meaning drivers will score points for their results in Qualifying, Heat Races, Landa Pressure Washers Last Chance Showdowns and Features to determine lineups for Saturday. The final night will include Hot Laps, Landa Pressure Washers Last Chance Showdowns and a pair of Dashes to set the field for the 75-lap, $75,000-to-win, main event.

The World of Outlaws will be joined by the USRA Northern Lights Modified Series on all three nights.

Here are the top storylines entering the weekend:

ROLLING ON THE RIVER: Bobby Pierce’s 38-win season in 2024 may have been considered a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, but four months into 2025, he’s on pace for another stratospheric total.

The Oakwood, IL native’s $50,000 victory in the Alabama Gang 100 was his 11th Late Model victory of the year between the World of Outlaws, MARS and the Wild West Shootout in his 25th start. That’s a 44% win rate, putting him ahead of his 37% win percentage in 2024.

If history is anything to go by, Mississippi Thunder could be the perfect place for his reign of terror to continue. Since joining the World of Outlaws full-time in 2022, Pierce has only finished off the podium once in seven starts at the track and has one win from his first year as an Outlaw.

Through the first 11 races of the World of Outlaws season, the story of Pierce’s season hasn’t been the fact that he’s won three times so far, it’s been the places he’s won those races at. Pierce’s southern triumphs at Smoky Mountain Speedway, Swainsboro Raceway and Talladega Short Track were his first win at each facility, and the first two came in his first weekend racing at those tracks. The “Smooth Operator” has yet to win somewhere he’s visited Victory Lane before with the World of Outlaws, but he’ll look to break that trend this weekend.

FAMILIAR GROUND: When Ryan Gustin crossed the line at Swainsboro for his second win of the year, he looked to be Pierce’s biggest challenger for a potential second championship. Three races later, Gustin finds himself in need of an immediate momentum shift if he wants to maintain that status.

The “Reaper” finished outside the top 10 on both nights at Farmer City Raceway and on Saturday at Talladega, marking the first time in 2025 Gustin has gone more than two races without a top five. As a result, Gustin has gone from 30 points behind Pierce leaving Swainsboro to 90 markers back entering Mississippi Thunder.

The 3/8-mile on the banks of the Mississippi River has been one of Gustin’s best tracks since the early days of his career as a traveling dirt racer. His second United States Modified Touring Series win came in Fountain City in 2009, and he followed it up with four more over the next decade.

Upon switching to Late Models, Gustin collected three World of Outlaws top fives at Mississippi Thunder before breaking through for a win in last year’s Dairyland Showdown finale. Sharon Speedway currently stands as the only track Gustin has won at more than once with the World of Outlaws – he’ll try to add Mississippi Thunder to that list this weekend.

ON THE RISE: Tim McCreadie’s return to the full World of Outlaws tour didn’t get off to the start he and team owner Boom Briggs were hoping for, but a strong night at Talladega showed that things are trending in the right direction.

The former Big Block Modified star put his expertise in long-distance Features to good use, coming home seventh in the 100-lapper to tie his season-best result. That leaves McCreadie ninth in points in a tight battle in the back half of the top 10, with 30 points separating Max Blair in fifth and Tanner English in 10th.

It’s been three years since McCreadie last visited Mississippi Thunder, but his lone appearance there ended in the fifth spot in 2021. Saturday’s 75-lap distance could play right into McCreadie’s wheelhouse as he continues his quest to bring the No. 9 “Barefoot” Bob McCreadie tribute back to Victory Lane.

WELCOME HOME: After three months of traveling up and down the road chasing the Series, a pair of Outlaws will finally get a weekend close to home.

MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Jake Timm resides right across the river in Winona, MN, and has been racing and winning at Mississippi Thunder for as long as he’s been driving race cars. While his Fountain City resume includes a flurry of Modified wins, Timm is also no stranger to success in a Late Model – he’s won four times with the Dirt Kings Late Model Tour, and three of his four World of Outlaws top 10s have come at Mississippi Thunder.

Dustin Sorensen has also made the one-hour trip from his Rochester, MN home to Mississippi Thunder countless times, and enters the Dairyland Showdown as an Outlaw for the second time this year. Sorensen’s sixth-place effort in the 2024 finale was the first top 10 of the season that netted him top rookie honors. Following a rough night at Talladega that saw him miss the Feature, Sorensen will be aiming to rediscover the speed he showed at Farmer City, where he notched his first top five of his sophomore season.

BRENT’S BACKYARD: Cedar Lake Speedway may be Brent Larson’s official home track, but the Lake Elmo, MN pilot has still made plenty of memories over the years two hours south at Mississippi Thunder.

Larson stood on a World of Outlaws podium for the first time in the inaugural Dairyland Showdown in 2021. He nearly won a preliminary Feature two years later, as he led early before crashing out with 10 to go.

The “B1 Bomber” comes into one of his best tracks in need of a get-healthy weekend, as he has yet to finish better than 19th in World of Outlaws competition and sits 17th in the standings. The next couple of months could be conducive to some improvements though, as Mississippi Thunder is the first of nine-straight tracks on the schedule where Larson has finished top 15 before with the World of Outlaws.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Thursday-Saturday, May 1-3, at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (1598 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-82)
3. Ryan Gustin (-90)
4. Drake Troutman (-120)
5. Max Blair (-164)
6. Ethan Dotson (-168)
7. Cody Overton (-174)
8. Brian Shirley (-180)
9. Tim McCreadie (-188)
10. Tanner English (-198)

FEATURE WINNERS (7):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 3
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 2
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (22):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 7
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 6
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 5
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 4
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 4
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 4
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 3
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 3
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 3
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 2
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 2
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 1
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 1
Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – 1
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 1
Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 1
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 1

LANDA PRESSURE WASHERS LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (21):
Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 3
Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 2
Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 2
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 2
Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 2
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 1
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 1
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 1
Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 1
Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – 1
Austin Smith – Cedartown, GA – 1
Shannon Babb – Moweaqua, IL – 1
Mckay Wenger – Fairbury, IL – 1
Jake Timm – Winona, MN – 1
Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 1

PODIUM FINISHERS (16):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 6
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 5
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 3
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 3
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 2
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 2
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1
Ashton Winger – Hampton, GA – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Zack Mitchell – Enoree, SC – 1
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 1

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGERS (9):
Dennis Erb Jr. – Carpentersville, IL – 3
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 1
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 1
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1

SIMPSON RACING PRODUCTS QUICK TIMES (6):
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 3
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 3
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 1
Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 1
Tanner English – Benton, KY – 1
Brian Shirley – Chatham IL – 1
Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – 1

BILSTEIN POLE AWARD (8):
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 2
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 2
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 2
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 1
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 1
Jason Feger – Bloomington, IL – 1
Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 1

FEATURE LAP LEADERS (13):
Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 157
Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 76
Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 67
Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 44
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 41
Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 30
Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 27
Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 25
Ricky Thornton Jr. – Chandler, AZ – 18
Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 16
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 13
Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 11
Brian Shirley – Chatham IL – 1

2025 WORLD OF OUTLAWS REAL AMERICAN BEER LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY DIRTVISION SCHEDULE & WINNERS
Friday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Ryan Gustin (1)
Saturday, Jan. 25 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Garrett Alberson (1)
Thursday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Garrett Alberson (2)
Friday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1)
Saturday, Feb. 15 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Jonathan Davenport (1)
Friday, Mar. 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN / Bobby Pierce (1)
Friday, Mar. 21 / Swainsboro Raceway / Swainsboro, GA / Bobby Pierce (2)
Saturday, Mar. 22 / Swainsboro Raceway / Swainsboro, GA / Ryan Gustin (2)
Thursday, Apr. 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, Apr. 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Ethan Dotson (1)
Saturday, Apr. 12 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Brandon Sheppard (1)
Saturday, Apr. 26 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Bobby Pierce (3)
Thursday, May 1 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Friday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Saturday, May 3 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Thursday, May 15 / Raceway 7 / Conneaut, OH
Friday, May 16 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Saturday, May 17 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Sunday, May 18 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA
Friday, June 20 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Saturday, June 21 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Monday, June 23 / Independence Motor Speedway / Independence, IA
Thursday, June 26 / I-94 EMR Speedway / Fergus Falls, MN
Friday, June 27 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Saturday, June 28 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN
Sunday, June 29 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Thursday, July 3 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 4 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, July 5 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Saturday, July 12 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Friday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Saturday, July 26 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Monday, July 28 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Thursday, July 31 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Friday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Saturday, Aug. 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Wednesday, Aug. 13 / Highland Speedway / Highland, IL
Thursday, Aug. 14 / Spoon River Speedway / Lewistown, IL
Friday, Aug. 15 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Saturday, Aug. 16 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Friday, Aug. 22 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK
Saturday, Aug. 23 / Arrowhead Speedway / Colcord, OK
Friday, Sept. 12 / Needmore Speedway / Norman Park, GA
Saturday, Sept. 13 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA
Friday, Sept. 26 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
Saturday, Sept. 27 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL
Friday, Oct. 3 / Humboldt Speedway / Humboldt, KS
Saturday, Oct. 4 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS
Friday, Oct. 10 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Saturday, Oct. 11 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Wednesday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 8 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/what-to-watch-for-record-paydays-up-for-grabs-at-mississippi-thunder-in-dairyland-showdown/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/schedule/event-info/?event=4547662
TRACK INFO: https://mississippithunder.com/

BIGFOOT 4X4, Inc. is excited to announce that Missouri’s own O’Reilly Auto Parts is its 2025 Presenting Sponsor for the 50thAnniversary BIGFOOT Open House June 7 in Pacific, MO.

We welcome O’Reilly Auto Parts as our Presenting Sponsor, along with returning sponsors Vinyl Imagesand Big Boys Towing. Additionally, our new neighbor, Klance Staging, Inc. is allowing us to use their parking lot so we can expand this year’s event. We are excited to be working with these wonderful partners!Come celebrate 50 years of BIGFOOT history with some old, retired, refurbished BIGFOOT trucks, some old BIGFOOT parts and bodies, along with a few “clones” built by fans, plus some other surprises. You may even get to bid on one-of-a-kind body parts of the once in a lifetime BIGFOOT Anniversary body!Trigger King R/C Racing will be returning, but with a bigger event space.Also, Traxxas will be returning with their racetrack, so come drive a Traxxas R/C. There will also be different Traxxas vehicles for sale.

Come ride in a real Monster Ride Truck, as it’s an experience like no other.Old School Monster Tuck Exhibitions will return, along with some current BIGFOOT drivers and even some drivers from the past – maybe even a few surprise guests.This year’s event will feature a bigger food selection and be sure and check out the vendors.We can’t wait to see everyone for this once in a lifetime experience!

The country’s best Wing and Non-Wing drivers are ready for two nights at Eldora Speedway

ROSSBURG, OH (April 29, 2025) – Call it “The House that Earl Built.” Call it “The Big E.” Stick with the original and call it Eldora Speedway. Just know the iconic Ohio half mile is the place to be this weekend for any Sprint Car fan.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is set for its first trip of 2025 to the Rossburg, OH oval. The #LetsRaceTwo weekend brings the stars of The Greatest Show on Dirt and welcomes the top Non-Wingers as the USAC National Sprint Cars will be in action both nights (May 2-3).

Eldora is the most visited track in World of Outlaws history and is set to extend that mark. The country’s top drivers have made 239 trips, including the second race in Series history. Eldora’s high banks and high speeds have thrilled fans for decades, and this weekend will continue the rich tradition between the World of Outlaws and Eldora Speedway.

BUY FRIDAY ELDORA TICKETS HERE
BUY SATURDAY ELDORA TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

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

HAUD HEADS HOME: Ohio means home turf for Wooster, OH’s Sheldon Haudenschild. The Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing driver gets five nights of racing in his home state this month, beginning with the pair at Eldora.

“The Big E” is home to a pair of Haudenschild’s 43 career Series victories, and they’ve both come during the month of May. His first was in 2021, and then last year, the 31-year-old led every lap of the #LetsRaceTwo opener to become the 34th different competitor with multiple World of Outlaws wins at Eldora.

Haudenschild heads home riding the momentum of taking the NOS Energy Drink No. 17 to his first victory at Tri-State Speedway. He’s fifth in points with eight top fives and 11 top 10s through the first 18 races of his ninth season on tour.

THE BOSS’ HOUSE: Donny Schatz has a tendency of showing off when he comes over to his boss’ house.

The 10-time World of Outlaws champion owns 19 victories at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway, and 16 of them have come since joining forces with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing in 2008. Six Kings Royal crowns are in Schatz’s trophy room. The 2002 Historical Big One belonged to him. Eight times he’s topped an Eldora Feature in the month of May. There’s not much Schatz hasn’t done at the high-banked half mile.

A visit to Rossburg, OH this weekend could be just what Schatz needs to right the ship in 2025. He and the No. 15 team have just two top fives so far, but the stats say they’ll likely add more this weekend. The Fargo, ND driver hasn’t finished worse than fourth in his last six tries at Eldora, and five of those results were on the podium.

MILLION DOLLAR MAN: Any time Logan Schuchart visits Eldora Speedway is an opportunity to revisit his history-making moment in Sprint Car racing.

Logan Schuchart became the sport’s first-ever winner of a seven-figure payday when he led flag-to-flag of 2023’s Eldora Million, adding the most monumental chapter to Shark Racing’s rags-to-riches story. But the Million is far from Schuchart’s only success at Eldora. “The House that Earl Built” has always been kind to the Hanover, PA native. He’s claimed six total Features, including four in World of Outlaws competition, which puts Eldora in a tie as his winningest track.

Schuchart has only missed the top 10 once so far in 2025. He trails point leader David Gravel by 72 markers and looks to make up ground in pursuit of his first championship.

THE BIG DAD-E: Chris Windom has focused on Winged Sprint Cars for the past few years, but back in his wingless days, few were as good as “Big Daddy” at “The Big E.”

Windom has won eight Eldora main events without a lid. In USAC competition, he’s topped a trio with the National Midgets and two apiece with Silver Crown and the National Sprint Cars. He also drove from sixth to victory with BOSS in 2016. An eighth-place run with the All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) in 2022 stands as his best Winged result at the half mile.

The USAC Triple Crown champ currently leads the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year standings with the Sides Motorsports crew. He’s been in the top 10 on five occasions and already collected a trio of KSE Racing Hard Charger awards aboard the NOS Energy Drink No. 7S.

ELDORA EXCELLENCE: The four drivers listed above aren’t the only World of Outlaws gassers that have made the coveted trip to Eldora Victory Lane.

Defending Series champion David Gravel is an eight-time winner. Among those are high-dollar scores of $175,000 (Kings Royal), $100,000 (Joker’s Jackpot), and $52,000 (Governor’s Reign). Five of his victories have come since joining his current Big Game Motorsports team.

Carson Macedo owns a trio of Eldora checkered flags. He topped a pair during Kings Royal week of 2021, then added another in July of 2023 with Jason Johnson Racing. It’s one of seven tracks where he’s won at least three races with the World of Outlaws.

Last year, Giovanni Scelzi got his first-ever Eldora win when he took the KCP Racing No. 18 to a prelim score at the Double Down Duels.

BOUND FOR THE BIG E: Expect a wide variety of entrants this weekend as many more competitors with diverse backgrounds are planning to fill the Eldora pit area.

Broken Arrow, OK’s Brady Bacon has #LetsRaceTwo on his schedule with TKH Motorsports. The versatile driver has won at “The Big E” both with and without wings. He conquered ASCoC in 2017 and picked up trophies with both the USAC National Sprint Car and Silver Crown divisions.

Emerson Axsom hasn’t missed a World of Outlaws race in 2025, and the streak will continue this weekend. The Franklin, IN native was on the podium in 2023 at Eldora with USAC and finished sixth in last year’s Kings Royal.

Dillsburg, PA’s Anthony Macri plans to represent the Posse in the state that neighbors Pennsylvania to the west. The “Concrete Kid” has already won five times in the “Keystone State” in 2025. His best finish at Eldora is fourth on two occasions.

Kalib Henry is fresh off winning the ASCoC season opener and heading to Eldora in the Running Boxer No. 101. The Californian races primarily in Ohio these days and has competed in six races at Eldora, peaking at sixth last year.

And of course, it’s likely “Buckeye State” fans will get to see local talents such as Creed Kemenah (Alvada, OH), Cap Henry (Bellevue, OH), Greg Wilson (Benton Ridge, OH), and others facing off with the best the sport has to offer.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday-Saturday, May 2-3 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH

ON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
X – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (18/85 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (2544 PTS)
2. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-72 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-98 PTS)
4. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-136 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing No. 17 (-196 PTS)
6. Donny Schatz – Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing No. 15 (-258 PTS)
7. Giovanni Scelzi – KCP Racing No. 18 (-260 PTS)
8. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports No. 17B (-312 PTS)
9. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-400 PTS)
10. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-404 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (10 Drivers): 
5 Wins – David Gravel
3 Wins – Kyle Larson
2 Wins – Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
1 Win – Christopher Bell, Bill Balog, Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart, Rico Abreu, Sheldon Haudenschild

FEATURE LAPS LED (14 Drivers):
126 Laps – David Gravel
76 Laps – Kyle Larson
73 Laps – Logan Schuchart
65 Laps – Michael Kofoid
47 Laps – Carson Macedo
40 Laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
39 Laps – Giovanni Scelzi
19 Laps – Bill Balog
17 Laps – Emerson Axsom, Rico Abreu
16 Laps – Cole Macedo
9 Laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
8 Laps – Christopher Bell, Aaron Reutzel

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (11 Drivers):
8 Quick Times – David Gravel
1 Quick Time – Emerson Axsom, Kyle Larson, Danny Sams III, Logan Schuchart, Anthony Macri, Carson Macedo, Aaron Reutzel, Rico Abreu, Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild

HEAT RACE WINNERS (25 Drivers): 
9 Heat Wins – David Gravel, Carson Macedo
6 Heat Wins – Bill Balog, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild
3 Heat Wins – Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, Michael Kofoid
2 Heat Wins – Brian Brown, Jacob Allen, Austin McCarl, Emerson Axsom
1 Heat Win – Hunter Schuerenberg, Anthony Macri, Garet Williamson, Bryce Lucius, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Conner Morrell, Donny Schatz, Danny Dietrich, Aaron Reutzel, Tanner Thorson, Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi, Tyler Courtney

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (35 Drivers):
15 Dashes – David Gravel, Logan Schuchart
12 Dashes – Carson Macedo
8 Dashes – Bill Balog, Sheldon Haudenschild
7 Dashes – Michael Kofoid, Giovanni Scelzi
6 Dashes – Emerson Axsom 
5 Dashes – Brian Brown
4 Dashes – Kyle Larson, Garet Williamson, Cole Macedo
3 Dashes – Christopher Bell, Aaron Reutzel, Tyler Courtney
2 Dashes – Danny Sams III, Jacob Allen, Anthony Macri, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Austin McCarl, Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu, Parker Price-Miller
1 Dash – Justin Peck, Brad Sweet, Ryan Timms, Hunter Schuerenberg, Spencer Bayston, Conner Morrell, Bryce Lucius, Christopher Thram, Danny Dietrich, Tanner Thorson, Carson McCarl, Brady Bacon

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (12 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Giovanni Scelzi
2 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz, Christopher Thram, Ryan Timms, Garet Williamson
1 LCS Win – Chris Martin, Anthony Macri, Bryce Lucius, Conner Morrell, Blake Hahn, J.J. Hickle, Zach Hampton

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers):
3 Hard Chargers – Ryan Timms, Chris Windom
2 Hard Chargers – Skylar Gee, Garet Williamson, Logan Schuchart
1 Hard Charger – Donny Schatz, Cole Macedo, Zach Hampton, Bill Balog, Hunter Schuerenberg, Michael Kofoid

PODIUM FINISHES (16 Drivers):
11 Podiums – David Gravel
8 Podiums – Carson Macedo
7 Podiums – Logan Schuchart
6 Podiums – Kyle Larson
5 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
3 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi
2 Podiums – Christopher Bell, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Podium – Aaron Reutzel, Jacob Allen, Bill Balog, Emerson Axsom, Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney

TOP 10 FINISHES (35 Drivers): 
18 Top 10s – David Gravel
17 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart
16 Top 10s – Carson Macedo
13 Top 10s – Michael Kofoid
11 Top 10s – Donny Schatz, Giovanni Scelzi, Sheldon Haudenschild
8 Top 10s – Bill Balog
6 Top 10s – Emerson Axsom, Kyle Larson
5 Top 10s – Chris Windom, Cole Macedo, Tyler Courtney
4 Top 10s – Hunter Schuerenberg, Aaron Reutzel, Brad Sweet, Garet Williamson
3 Top 10s – Ryan Timms, Justin Peck, Anthony Macri
2 Top 10s – Christopher Bell, Jacob Allen, Spencer Bayston, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Austin McCarl, Rico Abreu, Parker Price-Miller, Brady Bacon
1 Top 10 – Danny Sams III, Skylar Gee, Zach Hampton, Conner Morrell, Tanner Thorson, Kerry Madsen, Brian Brown

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

For the complete 2025 schedule, CLICK HERE.

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) – The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 – capable of 233 mph, the highest top speed of any car ever made in America by an auto manufacturer – will lead the field to the green flag for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Designed for speed and performance, the Corvette ZR1 is up for any challenge, and the exterior and interior of the Corvette ZR1 will be on full display as the car fulfills responsibilities on and off the track.

Michael Strahan, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, two-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, longtime “FOX NFL Sunday” analyst and “Good Morning America” co-host, has been named honorary Pace Car driver and will pace the field of 33 drivers in the Corvette ZR1 to start “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

“Chevrolet is proud that the 2025 Corvette ZR1, our fastest Corvette ever, will be the Official Pace Car for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500,” said Scott Bell, global Chevrolet vice president. “With a top speed of 233 mph, the Corvette ZR1 is the perfect fit to lead the Indy 500 field to green.”

The Corvette ZR1 delivers 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm from a 5.5L twin-turbo V8, which is the most power ever from a factory Corvette and the most powerful V8 ever produced in America from an auto manufacturer. For Pace Car duty, the ZR1 is equipped with the Carbon Aero package, including dive planes on the front bumper, underbody aero strakes and the rear wing, which creates more than 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speeds.

The Corvette ZR1 achieves incredible acceleration – capable of zero to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds before rushing through the quarter-mile in 9.6 seconds at 150 mph, making it the quickest Corvette ever.

Arctic White exterior paint and Jet Black interior accents pair nicely with the Indianapolis 500 logos on the Pace Car. The jewel tone, emerald green and gold of the logo are highlighted in racing stripes and additional exterior design elements. Carbon fiber wheels complete the car’s iconic, race-ready look.

“As we anticipate another iconic Indianapolis 500, we are once again excited to have the incredible American sports car Corvette pacing the field,” IMS and INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. “The race car-like performance of the Corvette ZR1 makes it the perfect car to pace the Indianapolis 500, and the distinctive sound of the Chevrolet V8 engine will echo brilliantly inside the walls of IMS.”

Corvette is the longest-running car nameplate in automotive industry history, so it’s no surprise Corvette has paced “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” more times than any car. The 2025 race marks the 36th time for Chevrolet to pace dating back to 1948 and the 22nd time overall, all since 1978, for America’s favorite sports car.

Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on all Month of May events and activities at IMS.

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (April 29, 2025) – Dominic Scelzi is heading to Placerville Speedway this weekend to tackle a two-night event at the high-banked dirt oval.

Scelzi will be competing in the 360ci winged sprint car portion of the Nor Cal Posse Shootout at the bullring in Placerville, Calif., on Friday and Saturday.

“Placerville has become one of the places I look forward to racing at,” he said. “The track is always two lanes and we’ve slowly but surely gotten better and more consistent there.”

Scelzi ran second at the track during a 360ci winged sprint car race in March. That gave him at least one top-five result at the unique oval for five straight seasons – four of which included at least one podium performance.

“I feel for us to have success we need to time in strong each night and get ourselves into the feature redraw,” he said. “It’s hard to gain spots so we need to put ourselves in position early.”

Scelzi has a win and a second-place finish during a pair of 360 sprint car starts this season.

SEASON STATS –

8 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 6 top 10s, 8 top 15s, 8 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday and Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., for the Nor Cal Posse Shootout

(Dallas Daniels (32) and Briar Bauman (3) in Ventura this past Saturday; Photo: American Flat Track/Tim Lester) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 29, 2025) – An intriguing 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, picks right back up this weekend with the second annual Silver Dollar Short Track at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, on Saturday, May 3.  Last year’s inaugural visit introduced the world’s greatest motorcycle dirt track racers to one of the West Coast’s most iconic auto racing dirt track facilities. A formative venue for a multitude of four-wheeled superstars, including the track’s current co-owners Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet (along with business partner Colby Copeland), Silver Dollar Speedway added another dimension to its proud history in 2024 by playing host to a triumphant performance from ten-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees.  Daniels vs Bauman  With Mees now retired, many predicted that Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) would assume the vacated Mission AFT SuperTwins throne. Many still do.   However, after four rounds, the series doesn’t just feature a heated title fight, it also has a new championship leader.  That honor, of course, belongs to Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R), who took the Harley-Davidson XG750R to its second-ever premier-class victory one race after delivering its first.  Bauman took the two wins from the third and second row, respectively, a fact that will undoubtedly create at least a small amount of doubt for Daniels whenever he lines up for a Main Event, no matter how perfectly the day has transpired to that point.  The flipside, however, is that Bauman needs to continue making strides on the Harley so as to avoid putting himself and the Rick Ware Racing team in the position where they are forced to make significant set-up gambles come race time.   While their pre-race adjustments have paid off handsomely as of late, the most difficult aspect of defeating Daniels in a season-long championship battle is not beating him on any single given evening but somehow matching (and exceeding) his unrelenting excellence – a rare trait that has seen the Estenson Racing superstar collect 17 podiums in succession.  Daniels may carry just an extra bit of motivation into this weekend as well; not only did he just lose the points lead, he also returns to a track where he came up just one corner short of beating Mees for victory.  On the Fastrack  While Daniels and Bauman have been a constant presence on the podium this season, they have been joined on the box by a different rider on each occasion.  Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) became the latest to make a podium appearance, joining Henry Wiles (No. 911 J&M Logging/Ray C’s Harley-Davidson Kawasaki Ninja 650), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke).  In doing so, he also sidled up next to Robinson and Fisher in the points race, forming a powerful second group of contenders working hard to keep Bauman and Daniels in sight.  Beyond just getting his campaign properly on track, the third-place finish represents a significant milestone for VDK and Fastrack Racing. One race after giving the squad its first-ever top five since being established as an independent race team following a long association with Latus Motors, VanDerKooi earned the squad’s first premier-class podium.  It was also VanDerKooi’s first finish this season as the top KTM, as he finally got the better of Fisher, who has immediately taken to the Rackley Racing KTM 790 Duke.  Who’s Next?  Who might be the next rider to step up to the podium this season? There is no shortage of contenders in a young season that has already boasted an impressive depth of color in terms of bikes and riders making their presence felt near the front.  Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S) has shown huge potential on the Suzuki this season – potential that has never been more obvious than it was this past weekend at Ventura Raceway. There Bromley won a heat race, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and battled to a top-five result. A podium is not beyond his reach.  Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) finally looked at home on the Royal Enfield, running in a podium position in the early going this past weekend before getting shuffled down just outside the top five. The race provided a much-needed confidence injection along with front-running experience that should continue to pay dividends moving forward.  Meanwhile, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp) strung together his fourth top ten in four attempts, while James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07) continues to look increasingly racey.  One other name to track is Logan McGrane (No. 14 Schaefer’s Motorsport KTM 790 Duke), who not only earned his first-career Progressive American Flat Track top ten this past weekend but actually gave Bauman fits in their heat race and ran in third position for the opening four laps of the Main Event.  Family Fun  The incredible race action won’t be the only attraction for fans. Along with the Fan Party, complete with a Rider Q&A session, that directly precedes Opening Ceremonies, attendees can also expect a multitude of vendors, big screen viewing, designated motorcycle parking, and a variety of food and beverage options.  Step Right Up… Get Your Tickets Here  General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Silver Dollar Short Track are just $40 (kids 12 and under free) while Pit Grandstand tickets ($50, all ages), Reserved Grandstand tickets ($60, all ages), and Trackside Box tickets ($85, all ages) offer premium viewing experiences. And new for 2025, every level of ticket automatically includes paddock access.  Also available for purchase is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($105), which includes reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photos opps included, and up-close viewing of Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.  Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/silver-dollar-short-track-123441 to reserve your seats today.  Gates will open for fans at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.  How to Watch  FloRacing  For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2025. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.  FS1  FOX Sports coverage of the Silver Dollar Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 11, at 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT).

MOORESVILLE, NC – April 28, 2025 – Roush Yates Engines, in partnership with Ford Performance, has reached a historic milestone by securing its 200th NASCAR Cup Series point win. This achievement is a testament to the longstanding collaboration between Jack Roush, Robert Yates, and Doug Yates whose shared vision and engineering excellence have propelled Ford Performance teams to victory for over two decades.

The 200th win was secured at the Jack Links 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, with Team Penske’s Austin Cindric taking the checkered flag. The triumph represents years of relentless dedication, performance, cutting-edge engineering, and continued leadership and resources from Ford Performance and Ford Motor Company.

“This is a historic moment for Roush Yates Engines,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Reaching 200 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series is a testament to the dedication and passion of our entire team, our partners at Ford Performance, and the incredible drivers and teams we power. It’s also an opportunity to honor the incredible legacy of two NASCAR Hall of Fame engine builders and team owners, Jack Roush and Robert Yates —two pioneers and visionaries who joined forces to create something truly special in motorsports.”

“We’ve been fortunate to celebrate a number of milestone achievements in NASCAR the last few years. The one constant to all of those has been Roush Yates Engines,” said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance.  “I’m sure when Robert and Jack started the company more than 20 years ago, they envisioned great things.  Doug has continued to deliver on that through his leadership and unmatched desire to be the best. Today, we are seeing the result of that represented by 200 wins.”

In 2004, Jack Roush and Robert Yates, in collaboration with Ford Motor Company, partnered to become the exclusive Ford engine builder for NASCAR. Under the leadership of President and CEO Doug Yates, these two legendary engine builders established Roush Yates Engines in Mooresville, North Carolina. Since its inception, the company has played a pivotal role in shaping the competitive landscape of NASCAR, delivering high-performance engines that have powered countless victories. Roush Yates Engines made an immediate impact at the start of the 2004 season, locking down the front row of the 2004 Daytona 500. The company powered Greg Biffle (Roush Racing) to the pole position and Elliott Sadler (Robert Yates Racing) to P2.

This organization secured its first NASCAR Cup Series points win on February 22, 2004, when Matt Kenseth claimed the victory at Rockingham Speedway. In its inaugural year, combining legendary power and performance from Jack Roush and Robert Yates, the company powered Kurt Busch to win the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

Over the years, Roush Yates Engines has powered numerous wins, including Ford’s 1,000th NASCAR win in 2013 with Greg Biffle at Michigan International Speedway, as well as the company’s 100th Cup Series points win in 2016 with Joey Logano at Michigan.

Roush Yates Engines and Team Penske celebrated its first NASCAR Cup Series Championship together in 2018 with Joey Logano in Homestead-Miami.

Roush Yates Engines and Team Penske embraced the NASCAR Next Gen Car beginning in 2022, securing numerous wins and three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championships. This remarkable achievement marked Ford’s first three-peat in its rich 75-year history in NASCAR.

In 2023, Ryan Blaney won the Championship, but did not win the race in Phoenix.

Roush Yates Engines remains committed to delivering power, performance, and reliability, ensuring that Ford Performance teams continue to lead the charge in NASCAR competition. As the 2025 season progresses, the company looks forward to adding even more victories to its storied legacy.

Top 5 teams:RFK Racing (77)Team Penske (75)Haas Factory Team (34)Wood Brothers Racing (4)Front Row Motorsports (4)Top 5 drivers:Joey Logano (34)Brad Keselowski (27)Kevin Harvick (25)Carl Edwards (23)Greg Biffle (18)

TALLADEGA, AL – April 28, 2025 – Team Penske’s Austin Cindric won Sunday’s Jack Links 500, marking his first win of the 2025 season and the third of his NASCAR Cup Series career. This triumph also represents a historic milestone for Roush Yates Engines, delivering their 200th NASCAR Cup Series points win since the company’s inception in 2004.

“Congratulations to Roger, Mike, Brian, Austin, and everyone at Team Penske on the race win at Talladega,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “Talladega is a special place for my family, Robert Yates Racing, and Roush Yates Engines, and for Austin to win our 200th NASCAR Cup Series Point win is truly special. Our Ford Performance race teams qualified well and were prepared for NASCAR’s largest track. We are thankful for NASCAR, Ford, Ford Performance race teams, and the many talented drivers that are part of this milestone for Roush Yates Engines.”

“I’m just so proud of everybody on this race team. Team Penske, the entire shop deserves wins at these racetracks with how fast our race cars are and I’m just so proud to be able to win for John Menard and the Menards team – to get this yellow car in Victory Lane and get in the playoffs,” commented Cindric.

Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith qualified on Saturday and won the pole for Sunday’s race, with a total of seven Ford Performance drivers starting in the top 10: Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P3, RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece in P4, RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher in P6, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in P7, Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry in P8, and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in P9. Pole-sitter Zane Smith led the field to green and the early laps led to a battle as drivers raced in tight packs. On lap 43, an incident occurred during green flag pit stops, bringing out the first caution of the race and shuffling the field. Rick Ware Racing’s Cody Ware finished the stage in P8. Six Ford Performance drivers finished Stage 2 in the top-10: Team Penske’s Joey Logano in P2, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric in P4, RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece in P6, Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland in P8, Front Row Motorsports’ Zane Smith in P9, and Wood Brothers Racing’s Josh Berry in P10. As the race came to an end, teams focused on fuel strategy and track positioning, anticipating a green-flag run to the finish. With 17 laps remaining in the race, Austin Cindric’s Team Penske crew executed the fastest pit stop of the race, propelling him to the front of the pack. Cindric battled with RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece, exchanging the lead multiple times in the closing laps. Cindric was able to hold off Preece and Kyle Larson to secure his first win of the season. The race featured 67 lead changes among 23 drivers with four cautions for a total of 22 laps. Cindric’s victory marked a significant milestone for Roush Yates Engines.

Front Row Motorsports’ Noah Gragson finished the race in P4.

The Xfinity Series also raced at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, where AM Racing’s Harrison Burton finished in P8 and Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed finished in P9. Both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series head to Fort Worth, Texas this week and race at Texas Motor Speedway.

41 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 479 WINS – 438 POLES

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 28, 2025) – Coming back from injuries that put him out of action for two months, Chris Dyson celebrated his return to the Trans Am by Pirelli series with a race-long battle with eventual winner Paul Menard. Dyson finished Sunday’s 100-mile contest at the physically demanding twisty 2.52-mile Sonoma Raceway right on Menard’s bumper (official margin 0.291 seconds) after a late-race caution period negated the small-but-important performance advantage Dyson’s #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang enjoyed as the 40-lap contest headed for its conclusion. “I can’t be disappointed today,” Dyson said following his runner-up finish. “It was only a bit over a week ago I was (medically) cleared and felt good to go. I worked super hard in training in the time available to get ready and I’m pleased with my effort all weekend. It was a great race with Paul. I’m proud of the team; they gave me a great chance to shine again.” The six laps of slow yellow-flag running, following a major crash with Adam Andretti and David Pintaric gave Menard the breather he needed to cool off his tires before the four-lap all-out sprint to the finish. Menard, the 2024 series champion following Dyson’s three-year title run, admitted “Chris was better on long runs, but we were better on short ones.” Saturday’s qualifying session was cancelled because of heavy rain. The grid for the race was set based on practice times, with Menard on pole and Dyson alongside him and for Sunday’s race the track was still damp when the green flag waved. “It was tricky conditions, but if we hadn’t gotten that yellow there near the end I think I’d have gotten him,” said Dyson, who set the race’s fastest lap and never trailed Menard by more than 1.5 seconds. “He was coming back to me. Still, it was hard racing the whole way, and I am so happy to be back racing and to be up front battling. If you had asked me a couple weeks ago I would have been pretty hard-pressed to say I’d even be out here today. So I am super grateful.” Next Up, Laguna Seca This weekend Dyson will have a rematch with Menard, as well as Andretti and Sonoma’s third-place finisher Tomy Drissi as the Trans Am series completes its West Coast swing with a return after a two-year absence to the Monterey Peninsula’s Laguna Seca Raceway, 150 miles south of Sonoma. On the way to his second Trans Am title in 2022 Dyson won the series’ most recent race at Laguna Seca from the pole. He also won the pole there in 2021. “Laguna in a Trans Am car is just a thrill. With the horsepower we have, the corners come at you pretty quickly. It’s going to be a shorter (two-day) weekend than normal National events, so I’m hopeful we can use some of our old lessons to hit the ground running, and have another great race. For more on Chris Dyson Racing.Laguna Seca ScheduleQualifying takes place Saturday, May 3, 2:40 PM – 2:55 PM PT (5:40 PM – 5:55 PM ET)The 100-mile race takes the green flag Sunday, May 4, at 1:20 PM PT (4:35 PM ET)Broadcast ScheduleThe race will be live-streamed on both SpeedTour.TV and the SpeedTour TV YouTube channel, as well as on SPEED SPORT 1, which can be watched on Amazon Prime Video, Roku, PlutoTV, Sling Freestream and more. For more information on how to watch, click here.

April 28, 2025

What to Watch for at the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix

• Honda Hot Streak: Honda teams and drivers have started the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season off strong, scoring three wins in a row in the first three races of the year. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou saw victory lane at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and at The Thermal Club, while Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood took the top step at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Honda win streak stretches back to the finale of the 2024 season where Colton Herta took a Honda win in Nashville. Honda currently leads the manufacturers’ championship by 69 points after the impressive first three races.
• Podium Perfect Palou: Reigning and three-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou’s title defense is also off to a promising beginning. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has two wins and one second-place finish to start the year, giving the Spaniard a perfect podium streak and an average finishing position of 1.33. Palou currently sits 34 points ahead in the championship as he fights for his fourth title in five years.
• Breaking the Streak at Barber: Honda is looking to continue their winning ways to kick off the 2025 season and also snap a streak of three non-Honda wins in a row at Barber Motorsports Park. The last Honda winner at the track was Alex Palou in 2021—his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES win. The Honda contingent of teams and drivers is eager to get back to victory lane, particularly at the home race of Honda’s Alabama Auto Plant—the manufacturing location for the Honda Odyssey, Pilot, Passport, and Ridgeline models.

Honda at Barber Motorsports Park

• Honda-powered NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers and teams have won five times at Barber Motorsports Park, most recently with Alex Palou in 2021.
• Four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves won the inaugural Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber in 2010.
• Other Honda-powered winners of the event are Will Power (2011), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014) and Takuma Sato (2019).

2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Honda Lineup

Andretti Global                     #26 Colton Herta (W)
                                                #27 Kyle Kirkwood (W)
                                                #28 Marcus Ericsson (I) (W)

Chip Ganassi Racing            # 8 Kyffin Simpson
                                                # 9 Scott Dixon (C) (I) (W)
                                                #10 Alex Palou (C) (W)

Dale Coyne Racing               #18 Rinus VeeKay (W)
            #51 Jacob Abel (R)

Meyer Shank Racing            #60 Felix Rosenqvist (W)
                                                #66 Marcus Armstrong 

Rahal Letterman Lanigan    #15 Graham Rahal (W)
Racing                                     #30 Devlin DeFrancesco
                                                #45 Louis Foster (R)

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

Where to Watch

• Television coverage of Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix starts at 12:30 PM CT / 1:30 PM ET on Fox. Complete, flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available on the INDYCAR Radio Network, and SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (Channel 160).
• Practice 1 will air on FS2 for this weekend’s race, while the remaining practice and qualification sessions will air on FS1.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

NTT INDYCAR SERIES OPEN TEST

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

FAST FRIDAY SIM TEST AND TESTING DAY TWO RECAP

APRIL 24, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS (April 24, 2025) – 

·       For the first time in the history of the Indianapolis 500 Open Test, the 18 Chevrolet powered teams and drivers took part in 2.5 hour Fast Friday Sim session on the famed 2.5-mile oval

·       The boost level was turned up to 1.5 bar (from normal 1.3 bar) which adds approximately 90 horsepower

·       First time Team Chevy drivers have had the opportunity to utilize the hybrid system with the added boost

·       Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Chevrolet posted the fastest lap of the session – an impressive 232.686 mph/38.6788 seconds

·       McLaughlin’s teammate Will Power was third on the timesheets with a lap at 232.278mph/38.7467 seconds. 

·       The No. 3 Team Penske Pennzoil Chevrolet of McLaughlin was quick everywhere around the 2.5-mile oval, with the Kiwi having the quickest trap speeds at the start finish line (237.976mph) and Turn 1 (237.496mph) and was second quickest in Turn 3 (238.326mph). His Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden was the quickest in the Turn 3 speed trap (238.534mph)

·       Kyle Larson, making his second attempt at the H1100, racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca Cola 600 on May 25, 2025 hit the Turn 1 wall and again at the Turn 2 wall ending his day mid-way through the session

·       After a two-hour break for the crews to prepare the cars for race running, the track was open for three hours of testing. With no yellow flags, the 2.5-mile oval was busy with 2436 laps (6090 miles) completed. Team Chevy drivers turned 1199 laps (2997.5 miles). 

·       The quickest Team Chevy driver with the boost lowered was Conor Daly, whose lap of 223.298mph was the fourth best of the afternoon. 

·       Up next for Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR Series is Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama May 2-4, 2025

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

A.J. FOYT RACING

David Malukas, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“First run with qualifying power and the boost – a lot of technical difficulties once again that we kind of ran through, but we know exactly what we had to do, so for our part we’re more here for trying to make sure we have a car for racing. I’m very comfortable with the car when it came to the qualifying and the boost, just other perspectives of technical difficulties which kind of lost us the pace there for those few laps but nothing to really worry about. We know exactly what to fix so now after the one run, we’re going to bring the car back and get focused on this afternoon because that’s what we’re training for. “

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“Obviously a very interesting day with the hybrid and the high boost. Feels pretty good, the cars are definitely quick. I don’t think were going to be as quick as we were the previous season just due to the weight of things, but overall very technical, very difficult as a driver to get all the systems right, but driving-wise, trying to find the balance with the car is also not the easiest thing, but overall pretty happy with it.”

ARROW MCLAREN

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

 “Just finished two days of testing at IMS. It was the first time at the open test that we had the boost up, at least in the morning, so that was cool. We know what to expect a little more on Fast Friday. We got through our program; we got through a lot of things. Alone running and traffic running. Feeling super happy for May coming up. I think this will be a great starting point to build on.”

Kyle Larson, No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet: 

“I was starting my qualifying laps there and, just got really tight and just a bunch of understeer through Turn 1, and ran out of space off of Turn 1. I kind of fought the understeer feeling yesterday and, yeah, carry over to the day. So, honestly, though, I’m happy to crash my first IndyCar and, live through it. We’ll just work on it and try and get the balance more comfortable. I just didn’t quite feel like I had the feeling I needed yesterday, and then it really carried over today. I think when you’re going faster, you know, it really stood out. Just a bummer, but, also, you know, encouraging that it didn’t feel I know it wasn’t like a big hit or anything, but it didn’t feel anything different than what I was expecting.”

DRYER & REINBOLD RACING

Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 23 Dryer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet:

“It’s been great to get back to work with everybody at Team Chevy and Ilmor. We’ve been working on the big ticket items, the fundamental stuff, the intricacies of the hybrid and the new procedures. Getting the team used to it, getting myself used to it, working in traffic, working on qualifying. The whole group has done a good job checking the boxes off. I’m looking forward to coming back in May and putting what we learned to use.”

Jack Harvey, No. 24 Dryer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet:

“I’ve been a competitor against Chevy for most of my NTT INDYCAR SERIES career, so it was cool to turn laps under the bow tie for the first time at as famous a race track as you could ever do it at. So far, mostly so good. Unfortunately, we had a hybrid issue yesterday that was a new issue for Chevy as well, so hopefully, they were able to learn something from it. Today has been a pretty smooth day on the whole.”

ED CARPENTER RACING

Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot and as a team everything is starting to come together. For this event in particular, there are a lot of nerves for the first one. Coming back knowing what to expect and having done it all before is a pretty good feeling.”

JUNCOS HOLLIGER RACING

Conor Daly, No. 76 Juncos Holliger Racing Chevrolet

“It was quite an adventure. The high boost stuff was kind of – our four-lap average was not that bad; we weren’t that fast overall, but we had a really good four-lap run, and our last lap was our best, so we were pretty good right out of the gate. But then it got a little messy so we decdied to get to the race running. 

“We have a lot of work to do in race running. We’re trying to figure out the best way to get through the field, get through the pack and get through the dirty air. To be the fastest Chevy is cool. We know that not everyone is going to show their stuff, but I saw those veterans getting big tows all day long, so they are hustling to get the lap time. Everyone is doing the same thing. We had a car that was fast enough to be flat when it mattered. That’s good.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Holliger Racing Chevrolet

“IMS is a crazy track to drive an INDYCAR around. You’re either having the best time of your life, or you’re scared out of your mind. We had a little bit of everything today, which is great, but that also means we have some work to do. I’m really happy with our qualifying car. We had good speed in the car naturally, which is nice. In race trim, we have some work to do, but between the 77 and 76 we learned a lot. We’re going to come back for the “Month of May” a lot better off, which is good considering we’re already doing alright.”

TEAM PENSKE

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet: 

“It was a pretty productive morning starting off day two at the open test. It’s been nice to have a high boost session. We don’t typically get this, and it’s interesting to have a simulation of what Fast Friday will be like. Just get an early touch on the car and what the high boost does. I felt pretty comfy and definitely felt some differences from last year to this year with the hybrid and the weight of the car. We’ve got something to digest as we come back to the “Month of May” and hopefully qualify on the front row again for Team Penske.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet: 

“It’s cool to turn up the boost; the car feels pretty similar to last year, which is a nice feeling. Just working through the motions and learning the hybrid system under qualifying conditions at full boost. It’s always nice to turn the boost up here around Indy. The Team Chevy engine feels fast.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet: 

“Just did a couple of quali sims to get us prepared for the qualifying weekend in May. We got a good feel for it and are trying to work out how to best use the hybrid. We’ll go back and look at the data to see what the best strategy is.”

Scott McLaughlin 

Press Conference Transcript

THE MODERATOR: Join now by Scott McLaughlin. Last year’s pole winner for the Indianapolis 500. First of all, welcome back. Good to see you back. Car seems to be doing okay?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, we had a really good day. A good couple days. Felt like we got through a lot from a hybrid perspective.

Then yeah, I felt like the morning qualifying session, high boost session, was a bit of a crapshoot, you could say. Couple yellows. When the track got better, it was a bit dirty from some of the shunts as well. Then everyone was trying to cram a lot in in 40 minutes.

Yeah, look, overall really solid balance to kick off the month of May. The car is certainly different with the extra weight and whatnot. I think speaking to a lot of the drivers, I think we all concur the same thoughts: it’s different.

It’s fine, fun to get used to and understand it. I feel like I really honed in on a lot of things at a low intensity level just to feel out the car and see where we’re at.

Qualifying is going to be proper in terms of just what you need to do on the lap and thinking about what the car’s doing, the degradation of the tires with the heavier car. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

I think as well, if we have a hot day for the 500, it’s going to be pretty fun. Yeah, just trying to get comfortable with the race car. Hopefully we’re good.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Scott.

Q. You’ve picked up where you left off last year. A lot of drivers have said they’ve really had to yard sale their car, haven’t been able to use anything from last year. How much of the race car from last year have you been able to use this year?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Same car. Exactly same car. Hasn’t touched a piece of tarmac since May here. Pretty happy to have that. It shows in some of the balance numbers as well. We had a pretty solid race car or read straightaway. That’s a good feeling.

For me as a driver, getting out and up to speed, understanding all this other stuff that comes with it. As I said, it’s going to be a lot busier now, which is cool, but you want to be on top of things.

I feel like having that opportunity to come here with a similar car and get going has been good.

Q. Kyle said the traffic seemed like it was difficult. How much difficulty did you get have getting clean laps?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: In the boost session?

Q. Yes.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I concur with him. A couple of the new teams, you can pick who they are, rolled out today in some pretty peculiar spots. Oh, well, somebody is not going to be happy with you. It was interesting to watch. Actually, one of those new teams pulled out in front of me, though. I was a little pissed.

Overall, you understand everyone’s in the same boat. Everyone is trying to get laps and do whatever. You can only be so sportsmanlike to a point. You got to get going. That’s why I say, once the time came down and the crashes happened, only 40 or so minutes left to go, I knew it was going to be a bit of a crapshoot.

Yeah, but I thought we got enough done to look at it, come back. Definitely think I needed to do more single-lap qualifying stuff just to practice it. It was a good initiation.

Kudos to INDYCAR for giving us the opportunity to run the high boost. Weird running it now. Super weird. But it was cool.

Q. You had May-like weather the past two days. You’re a seasoned veteran now. How good is it for you to have that accurate weather?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I said to my guys before, it’s so nice going here and sort of understanding what I want, what feels right, remembering changes we made before. Definitely experience is a good thing.

But yeah, I think this is the best weather we’ve had in probably three, four years, at least the time I’ve been here doing the Open Test. Warm, much like what we might see in May. But you just never know with Indiana.

Yeah, we’ll look at the data and figure it all out. I think we’re in a really good spot.

Q. You said kudos to INDYCAR for giving you that morning session. A lot of people wanted to see if it was going to be too slow or too fast, balance way off. Are you content with where it’s at?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, you just try to get a feel for not only yourself but manufacturers, everything like that, to see where everything sits.

I think with the parameters we ran at from a team perspective, we didn’t throw everything to the wall today. I don’t think anyone would have.

It was a good read with a heavier car. The biggest thing that has changed now is the heaviness of the car. It’s very different. It feels weird. Not weird, but just feels different to usual.

To do that and be able to have an extra session at high boost rather than throwing it out on Fast Friday, who knows there could be rain on Fast Friday. You never know here. It’s nice to come out here in reasonable conditions, n

ot too much wind, have a feel for it, get an introduction to what it’s going to be like.

Q. Are the changes you’re making on the car, are you able to predict what they’re going to do?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: You’re talking about weight jacker and bar?

Q. Yeah. Is it doing what you would expect or what worked a year ago in a change is not going to work now?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, it’s lefty loose-y, righty tight-y. The weight jacker still works the same.

There’s some nuances to the setup that we had to change, for sure. Not change, but like move to I guess you could say. Yeah, it’s still fundamentally what you feel in the car when you’re out in front compared to in traffic, what you need to change for that. It’s very similar.

Q. Your setup with the extra boost this morning, how close do you think that’s going to be to what you run in qualifying? Was it relatively close? A lot of changes you still got to make to it?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I guess you could say it’s somewhat close if you get a read. We didn’t go out there completely different. Certainly trying different things underneath the car that you guys can’t see, no one can see. It’s more of a feel inside the team.

I mean, yeah, all three cars, we had a crack, but within the limits.

Q. How much would you have to change from yesterday’s car to this afternoon’s session? Speeds were up a little bit in the afternoon.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: From yesterday’s car? Yeah, the car was pretty similar to yesterday, to be honest. I just didn’t quite get the best run yesterday. I mean, you can be a hero and try to get a massive tow today, but it doesn’t really feel good.

Q. I heard during commentary the fact that New Zealand has the second highest number of drivers in the Indy 500 with three, along with the UK, then the U.S. with 15. As a Kiwi, how does that make you feel?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, it’s awesome. A little country that punches above our weight, as you know. One of those guys is an absolute legend of the sport, probably the greatest of all time in Scott Dixon. He’s done an amazing job of putting New Zealand on the map. Having Marcus here and now myself, it’s a cool thing.

I think it’s exciting for the Kiwis back home. Yeah, hopefully we can pull out the front for them.

Q. Looking slightly more towards the month of May, your pit box is going to move probably multiple times. Also then wondered the way you’re going to come into the pits using the pit-in, how hard are they adjust to, those variables?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I guess the pit-in for one, we don’t get to practice that really until Monday of race week. That’s probably the only thing. I think all us drivers would probably want to practice it say today on the hot stops. Because we had too many cars in pit lane, the safety is to bring the speed limiter closer into the pylon, into the attenuator. That does take a little bit to get used to. Want to practice that pretty hard on Monday and Carb Day.

The pit box thing, you’ve just got to deal with it. You have marks to practice in and out laps, wherever you’re going to be. I don’t think I’ve ever had the same pit box here ever. Hopefully we can have the same one this year as last year because that was pole.

Q. Looking away from this, Barber next week, then the Grand Prix, how difficult is it to change your mindset from what you spent two days doing to get back in the thick of things thinking about the championships?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, no, it definitely takes a couple laps to sort of get acquainted to a road course again. Your head is moving around a little bit more. It won’t take too long. We had a test there not long ago.

Yeah, Barber and Indy, for me Indy GP hasn’t been that kind too me, particularly in qualifying. Trying to tidy that up a little bit. We’ll be okay. Need to get back on track a little bit.

Had a solid run at Long Beach and hopefully can keep going.

Q. Try to avoid the mannequins at Barber.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: That helped me last year (smiling).

The USAC Triple Crown Champion explores why wingless drivers excel at Tri-State Speedway and his transition to wing racing

HAUBSTADT, IN (April 24, 2025) – Wing and Non-Wing 410 Sprint Cars may fundamentally be the same type of race cars, but the racing styles are completely different.

Rarely do you see drivers with an extensive background on one side jump in the other car and succeed right away. Time and practice are required to learn the nuances of each style.

But for the “non-wingers,” Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway has proven to be an equalizer time and time again. Carson Short topped The Greatest Show on Dirt there in 2020. Kevin Thomas Jr. led early in the 2018 race before losing a wheel. Four-time USAC National Sprint Car champion Brady Bacon has won the last two. The list goes on and on.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series heads to the Indiana 1/4 mile on Saturday, April 26, after a stop at Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway the night before.

So, what is it about this paperclip-shaped bullring that levels the playing field? Who better to ask than USAC Triple Crown champion and current Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year leader Chris Windom?

“Well, I think some of it for Haubstadt is that even for a Non-Wing car, you have to do different stuff to get your car to work there and think kind of outside the box just because the surface is so much different than anywhere we really go,” Windom explained. “So, I think some of those guys like Brady that do a lot of their own setup kind of do different things than maybe what a standard Wing crew chief would do. Also, the fact that they’ve just raced there so much in Non-Wing.

“Funny enough I’ve raced there a ton, and Haubstadt was always one of my worst tracks in a Non-Wing car,” Windom added with a laugh. “I never looked forward to going there. I won one USAC race there out of all the races I raced in a Non-Wing. I never enjoyed Haubstadt in a Non-Wing car. I like it more in a Wing car. I’ve got to go there once or twice now in a Wing car.”

Windom highlights the track surface as a key contributor to previous results. It’s unique, and the Non-Wing drivers get plenty of laps on it throughout the year.

“For one, it’s just a different dirt than what most tracks have,” Windom said. “It seems like there is grip, but it’s always also got like a layer of almost what I would call grease lying on top of the racetrack all the time. I’ve always just described it as you haul off in there, pitch the car in, and you slide and hope you stop sliding before the next guy, and then you’re going to be faster than him. There’s really no line per se that you run at that place. That’s why I never really enjoyed it much in a Non-Wing car. I was always the guy that slid through the corner and never stopped sliding and just got passed by the next person, but the wings obviously help that a little bit and make it more fun to race. The surface is different than really any other track in the country, in my opinion.”

Every race on the schedule is another step for Windom as he continues to adjust to wings after many years without them. Despite the plan to join forces with Sides Motorsports for 2025 coming together late, the Canton, IL native has found a comfortable home with the Jason Sides-owned team and leads a stacked rookie class with 16 races in the books.

“It’s definitely been the toughest transition or toughest car that I’ve ever driven in my whole career,” Windom said. “With wing racing, a lot of people know but some maybe don’t know, it takes the whole package between driver, team, car, engine. You’re not going to go out and outspend somebody in wing racing. Everybody has got the nicest stuff out there. It really just takes the whole package.

“As far as being happy with it being a new team and kind of getting thrown together late, I think we got the deal done less than two months before the opener at Volusia. I am definitely happy with the speed. I didn’t know for sure what was going to come about going into this deal, and I feel like it’s exceeded my expectations as far as the car speed we’ve had at half miles, quarter miles, really all tracks we’ve gone to.”

This year has already offered several new tracks to Windom as he navigates his first season with the World of Outlaws. And while Tri-State might not have been his favorite track to visit in his USAC days, he’s looking forward to the familiarity.

“That’s been some of my struggles to start the year, just a lot of the tracks we went to I’d never seen or been to,” Windom said. “I think it definitely helps showing up to a place like Haubstadt even not necessarily having anymore wing laps than any of the guys there but just having the amount of laps and times that I’ve been there and just kind of knowing what the track’s going to be like and what lines seem to work. Really, it seems to me like in Non-Wing cars and Wing cars kind of race similar there as far as lines to where it’s really not like that at a lot of tracks. I feel like there’s times that I know when something is going to come in later in the race or be there compared to a guy that runs a Wing car at most tracks wouldn’t think to try that at Haubstadt. I definitely think there’s some advantage to going there with all of the experience I’ve had.”

Windom and his Sides Motorsports team continue the 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season this weekend at Jacksonville Speedway on Friday, April 25, and Tri-State Speedway on Saturday, April 26. For Jacksonville tickets, CLICK HERE. For Tri-State tickets, call (812) 768-6025.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/wingin-it-chris-windom-on-haubstadts-uniqueness-adjusting-to-winged-sprint-cars/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4547753
TRACK INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/tracks/?track=Tri-State%2BSpeedway

FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

EASTABOGA, AL (April 24, 2025) – When Ethan Dotson took the checkers at Farmer City Raceway to become a winner with the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision, it was more than the latest line on his resume – it was the culmination of his life’s work.

“Since I was a little kid, I’ve been dreaming of being able to have the opportunity, being able to succeed at the highest level of the sport that I wanted,” Dotson said. “I never really liked NASCAR or wanted any part of that; I just love dirt racing. Growing up racing Modifieds, I just loved Super Late Models. Watching them and just dreaming of one day being able to drive one, and then one day being able to race Outlaw races. Then being able to win with some of the best, I’m just super lucky.”

Hitting the road with the World of Outlaws and winning races has always been the end goal for Dotson, but a few phone calls a year ago turned that dream into a realistic possibility. Last May, Dotson was tabbed as the new driver for ASD Motorsports, giving him everything he needed to go toe-to-toe with the best Late Model drivers in the nation.

“I was kind of wandering around looking for a ride and I saw on the internet that Wil [Herrington] had left here,” Dotson said. “I didn’t really know these guys at all. I got Tyler [Breshears]’ number and I got a hold of him and then he gave me John [Henderson]’s number. I called him and we chatted back and forth a little bit. Came up and checked out the shop and we talked a little bit more. It was just a good fit. Got along good and had the same goals and stuff, so it just worked out.”

When Dotson and ASD signed up for their first full season as Outlaws in 2025, they didn’t intend on merely sticking their toe in the water. Dotson knew he had the equipment and the ability to be a perennial contender, and a pair of top fives to start the season at Volusia Speedway Park let the rest of the world know it too.

From that point forward, it was only a matter of time until the Bakersfield, CA native removed his name from the list of potential first-time World of Outlaws winners. With that monkey off his back, Dotson is ready to move into the category of Series stalwarts who know how to win and are in contention to do so on any given night.

“It definitely helped,” Dotson said. “I expect a lot of myself, and I expect that every race. So, to be running up front and winning races, it’s what I need to keep doing.”

However, Dotson isn’t the only freshman off to a hot start in the opening stages of the season. Drake Troutman and Team22 Motorsports have rattled off four top fives in the first 10 races to put themselves fourth in the standings, one spot ahead of Dotson.

The two early favorites for the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award have been on mirroring career trajectories as young Modified stars who have recently graduated to the Late Model ranks. They’ve crossed paths plenty of times, and when Dotson took the win at Farmer City, Troutman was one of the first to offer his congratulations.

For Dotson, there’s no one he’d rather spend this season and beyond battling at the pinnacle of dirt Late Model racing.

“He’s like my little brother,” Dotson said. “We raced Modifieds whenever I was racing for Longhorn, and the last couple years we grew really close. He’s like a little brother to me and one of my best friends. People take it different than I see it. Obviously, I want to win and I want to beat him, but at the same time, if he beats me, I’m just as happy for him. It’s kind of a win-win for me, if I don’t get to win, my best friend gets to win.”

The fight for top rookie honors picks back up this weekend in the Alabama Gang 100 at Talladega Short Track, a place Dotson has already created plenty of good memories at in his short Late Model career. He won two of his six starts at the track with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series, and he’ll look to put that expertise to good use in his World of Outlaws debut on the Alabama red clay.

“Usually the top gets good, it kind of gets a little sketchy around the top and it’s a lot of fun,” Dotson said. “But I went there a couple weeks ago, and it was completely different than how it normally is. So, it’ll be interesting to see this weekend to see if it’s more like how it’s been or if it’s how it was earlier this month. I kind of don’t know, and then we go in here with this new tire; I haven’t gotten to run it yet. Just a lot of unknowns, but we’ll try to do our deal, win us a race and run up front.”

The World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision resumes with the Alabama Gang 100 at Talladega Short Track, Friday-Saturday, April 25-26. For tickets, click here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/first-world-of-outlaws-trophy-in-hand-dotson-ready-continue-rise-to-stardom/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/schedule/event-info/?event=4547660
TRACK INFO: https://www.talladegashorttrack.com/

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES NTT INDYCAR SERIES OPEN TEST INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA TESTING DAY ONE RECAP APRIL 23, 2025 INDIANAPOLIS (April 23, 2025) – As the “Month of May” at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway quickly approaches, 18 Chevrolet powered teams and drivers, took advantage of the first day of a two-day open test to prepare for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. It’s the first time the 34-car field has had the opportunity to test the impact of the hybrid power unit on the famed 2.5-mile oval Josef Newgarden, the winner of the last two Indianapolis 500s, ended the first day of testing second on the time charts and was the quickest of the Team Chevy drivers, turning a lap at 225.125mph. His Team Penske teammate and last year’s pole-sitter Scott McLaughlin went 218.899mph without a tow, the fourth best in the field and the quickest of the Team Chevy drivers. Team Chevy drivers had the three fastest trap speeds at the start/finish line.  1 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske – 238.431mph2 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske – 238.077mph3 – Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing – 235.824mph  Kyle Larson made his first laps in his No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in preparation for the H1100 – running both the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600 on Sunday, May 25, 2025·       A trio of Team Chevy drivers had a little extra work before they were allowed on the track with the other 31 drivers. PREMA Racing’s Robert Shwartzman easily completed the three phases of Rookie Orientation Program (ROP. At the same time, his teammate Callum Ilott and Larson had no problems completing the two phases of their veteran refreshers.·       The 34 drivers turned 2805 laps of the iconic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, with Team Chevy drivers and teams having 1422 of the total laps. Shwartzman completed 322.5 miles (133 laps) of running, the most of any driver. ·       Josef Newgarden ended as the quickest driver in the last four (2021, 2022, 2023, & 2024) Indianapolis 500 open tests, going on to win the “Greatest Spectacle In Racing” the last two years. ·       The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will return at 9:30 am on Thursday with the boost turned up to qualifying levels until noon, with race running from 2 pm – 5 pm. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):A.J. FOYT RACING David Malukas, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet”First day is done. It’s been a long time. I didn’t run last year, but I got comfortable within the first few laps. It took some time to get the first few laps. We had some car issues that we had to go through. The first time in this car and the first time being back here. We got going. I don’t think there is anything to be worried about. We’re right where we need to be. We need to figure out a set-up. I think we’re a little uncomfortable with where we are now. We need to get our heads down, and by the time the “Month of May” comes we should be good to go. We still have tomorrow, and that quali pace, so we’ll see how the car handles then.” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet:”Obviously an interesting day. We had to change a motor, but the boys got it done. Got out there. One set up change and I was able to hold it flat and quick one for Chevrolet.”  PREMA Callum Ilott, No, 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet:“All good, honestly; pleasantly surprised. I think we have a good baseline. Obviously, we’ve been building up a bit. Pretty happy. Going through some items that we needed to. We got through it cleanly.”  TEAM PENSKE  Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:  “Great to be back out here at IMS. This open test means we are right around the corner from the “Month of May.” It was a really solid first day, and I’m excited about tomorrow. We’ll have some high boost running, almost like a Fast Friday simulation, which we’ve never had for an open test. A little different complexion than what we’ve had in past years. I think we’re in a really good window to start out. Chevrolet has done such a good job going back to reviewing everything to make sure we have a good game plan for 2025. I’m excited for the month to start in a week or so.”  Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet:  “Overall, a pretty good day. Just getting into the swing of things at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Our car felt pretty good. We’re just learning the new hybrid system and working through that as a team. Overall, a good first day. It’s good to be back.”  Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:  “Really nice to get back out on the Speedway, get the car in a reasonable window with the weight and all that. It’s obviously a big change from last year. So I think we felt good at the end. Really interested to see how it feels in quali trim tomorrow.”  Kyle LarsonPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Kyle Larson joins us, who finished 11th quick on the speed chart at 223.430 miles an hour, returning for his second 500, driver of the No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Last year, as you may recall, he started fifth, finished 18th. 11th on the speed chart so far. How would you describe your return to IMS thus far? KYLE LARSON: It was good. Good to get back behind the wheel. It doesn’t seem like that long ago, and figured it would feel normal when I got back in, but it definitely took some getting accustomed to, so it’s honestly good to go through the ROP. I feel like it would be hard to commit to wide open anyway the first couple laps. Yeah, still just trying to get the hang of it. Definitely I feel like — I haven’t talked to any of the teammates yet, but I feel like it feels a little different handling-wise this year. I don’t know if that’s the hybrid stuff and the weight of that or what I’m feeling, but it feels a little different, so not quite the same balance that I had last year, so just got to kind of think through that and how you want to adjust to it, if you want to get it to a point like we were last year or not. Yeah, but overall I felt comfortable, but still a little rusty on things, small detail things, hitting buttons and trying to really get the dash setup to where it processes quick to my eyes and brain and little details like that. Good to get all that out of the way today, and hopefully tomorrow will go smoother. Q. Last year we got rained out the second day. You’ve got time to refresh for another day tomorrow, right? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, absolutely. I think anytime you’ve got a night to sleep on anything, you usually come back a little more comfortable the next day. I’m sure that’ll be the same for the team, as well. We had a lot of radio communication issues on the box and a couple different engine things happening, so all stuff you probably expect the first day. Q. I know coming into your debut 500 last year, you were doing lots of simulation work. You had some on-track tests that you went through even before we got to the month of May. Can you tell us a little bit of since last May what kind of work or what things have you done between May — the end of May last year and late April over the last 11 months to prepare yourself for 2025? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, nothing really. Yeah, nothing at all. I didn’t do any sim stuff. They have a new steering wheel, so I got molded for that. That’s about all that I’ve done Indy related. Yeah, I mean, you have so much track time here that you kind of can build into it anyway. Maybe if I got in the sim, buttons and all that would have been a little bit easier to kind of set up the way I wanted, but like I said, you have enough time here that I don’t really feel like it’s that necessary, and then the overall — like sim, car balance I think for oval staff, it doesn’t relate to real life. I think a lot of times you can just trick yourself in there. Even on the NASCAR side of things, I don’t really use the sim. Yeah, I didn’t do anything. But there’s going to be plenty of track time to figure it out. Q. I know you made some comments earlier in the year about feeling like this was maybe a two-year chapter for you in terms of trying to compete in the double and do the Indy 500. Is that something that you feel like is set in your mind or set in your team’s mind in terms of this being the last time you might do the 500 for a while, or is that still up in the air? KYLE LARSON: I don’t know. I haven’t really had a sit-down discussion with anybody about that. So I don’t know. I can’t really fully answer that. In my head, yeah, I’m going into this thinking it’s at least for the time being, in the near future, the final Indy 500. But I am still young, and I mentioned on Dale Jr.’s Download thing that maybe someday when I’m not full-time Cup and I can really devote all my mind to Indy, I’d like to do it again. But we’ll see. If I happen to win the Indy 500, I’d probably just ride off into the sunset, too. I don’t know, it’s such a cool event. I think once you run it enough, I think, and you don’t, you probably have a lot of FOMO and want to come back. It’s hard to fully answer that right now. Q. The hybrid is new for you; what do you think of it? Did you notice it? Did you feel it? What were the things that surprised you about it? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, we messed around with it a little bit there. Hearing them describe it to me was a little bit confusing, but once I got out there and all that, it was okay. I didn’t really feel like it does much of anything to help you. It definitely helps; it doesn’t hurt. But it’s not like you get this massive boost down the straightaway or anything like that. I feel like whenever I would hit it, I’d get like an initial kind of handful of horsepower and then it just flattens out to normal. You get kind of close and then you just kind of stall out. Then yeah, like I mentioned about the balance stuff, I don’t know if what I’m feeling there is due to the hybrid stuff. I think it’s a fair bit heavier than last year and rearward, as well. I feel like that’s what I might be feeling. But I just would like to talk to my teammates, see what they felt to see if it’s similar. Q. During your refresher laps, was the radio issue or the engine issue the one that may have kept you from cruising through it quicker? KYLE LARSON: All of it probably. I would say more so the engine stuff. I don’t know what exactly was going on, but we made kind of a shorter first run, and yeah, we were having our radio problems, which we still kind of have currently. Then we were getting ready to go out for what I thought was going to be we were just going to bang some laps out and get it done, and I left pit road and the engine wasn’t running crisp, so came in and that took 30 minutes or so. Yeah, so whatever. We got it in. Q. When you get done with Indy, you have a real white knuckler type of race at Talladega. That’s always a handful in itself. How do you look at that, going from here to Talladega? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. Just hope and pray you miss a wreck and can get to the front and stay up front. I’ll not sure. Talladega is a — I haven’t had a whole bunch of luck, but out of the superspeedways we have, it’s probably the one that I finish okay at the most. We’ll see. Our car is really fast at those places, and I feel like we have a good understanding of it, we’ve just got to execute. Q. Coming in here today, how much more do you feel like you knew about the car versus coming to this test a year ago? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I think just a little less anxiety probably of the unknown of what to expect. I still think there was definitely things I didn’t fully know what to expect on. It is a little different car with the hybrid system, so there was things that I didn’t know. But just getting laps last year, I think INDYCAR feels like an INDYCAR, and you can get somewhat the speed. But yeah, I think the open test, it’s like — I feel like for the month of May when you come here, everybody builds into bigger pack running and stuff, where like today, it was like everybody was out there in a pack, so you kind of got to get your mindset up to speed a little quicker than I guess I was expecting. But it’s still all good to get there. But yeah, I don’t know. Still a bit rusty, I felt, out there. But it’s good to sleep on it tonight. Q. During the long wait to get in the car, did you see NASCAR announced the All-Star rules today, the format? Did you see where it’s a 250-lap race and a break at lap 100, and then between lap 101 and 220, they’re going to let Marcus Smith throw a caution whenever he wants without telling you when it’s going to be. I’m curious what your thoughts are on it. KYLE LARSON: I don’t know, I did read it just quickly once. I don’t know, it sounded about normal. Gimmicky All-Star Race. It is what it is. You kind of come to expect that with the All-Star format. I don’t mind it. It’s such an oddball rule that I hope that the core fans aren’t — which I’m sure they’re probably mad but aren’t thinking this is something we’re going to adopt every week because I’m sure we won’t. Q. With all the different competitors you’ve raced against, midgets and sprint cars, NASCAR, here, is it difficult to keep in your mind the different tendencies certain drivers have when you’re racing around them at 200 miles an hour or however fast you’re going at whatever track you’re running on? KYLE LARSON: I don’t know, I think if you’re at a track other than Indy maybe it would show up a little bit more, but Indy is a pretty straightforward kind of track. I think the thing that — like I’m still trying to get used to when I’m out there, I don’t know what the common courtesy is as far as little things like blending on to the racetrack if you’re trying to get into a pack and all that sort of thing. So I hope I’m not making people upset when I’m out there trying to blend in and going slow — I just don’t really know what to do. There’s that side of things. It’s all stuff that you get used to when you do it often like these drivers have. Where I’m coming from, NASCAR, it seems a little different on how you blend into a pack. Just trying to figure that out, and I need to just go talk to some people. Other than that, it’s racing, and I’m very fortunate that I get to race with, in my opinion, a lot of the best race car drivers in the world spread across a lot of different varieties of race cars. It’s just a really cool thing. I don’t think there’s many drivers that can get the opportunity to race with the crop of drivers I get to. Q. Through your career you’ve had massive events, Chili Bowl, Knoxville, competed here, Daytona 24 hours. What’s next on the Kyle Larson racing bucket list tour? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. I think obviously get through this. But it’s tough, it’s really tough to run big races because I’m racing 54 weekends of the year pretty much. I don’t know, one that kind of stands out to me and hopefully we can kind of put it together down the road would be — I’d like to run a Supercar, in particular in Adelaide. It’s their finale. They have a sprint car track in the city, as well, so I could do both. I would like to do that. There’s been some conversations. We’ll see where it kind of goes. For right now, it’s hard to look that far ahead because I’ve got Indy, which is a big deal right now, and we’re pretty engrained in the Cup season, as well. Q. Obviously FOX is blowing up INDYCAR right now. The first three races there’s been a lot of momentum, a lot of promotion from FOX. Have you felt that on the NASCAR side, and have a lot of your NASCAR colleagues shown a little bit more interest in you running the 500 this year? Have you had those conversations with other drivers inside of the Cup paddock? KYLE LARSON: Not yet. I think probably after this open test. When you’re fully into NASCAR it’s hard to see outside of it, so I doubt many of them even knew that the open test was coming up. When you think of Indy you think of May, and we’re not in May yet. I haven’t really had anybody talk to me yet. But I’m sure after this open test and cars on track, getting to Talladega this weekend people will have lots of questions and start getting excited about it. Q. You told me last year you didn’t know who you were around. When you’re in a Cup car you can see the sponsor and the number. Did you feel like you knew who you were around today and did you remember back to last year, okay, I’ve driven behind this guy before, I can kind of trust his tendencies? Did you feel that more today? KYLE LARSON: It wasn’t like that intense out there, so there wasn’t really any non-trust in people. But I felt like I recognized names a little quicker and easier than I probably would have day one of the open test last year. But it was so hard to hear all my radio anyway, so it was kind of hard to know where people were, how far back they were, who was coming, all that sort of stuff. Q. Kyle, this is your first time coming back here since getting to experience the 500 for the first time but also getting to win the Brickyard 400. Does that change your appreciation or the way you look at this track getting to come back here as a veteran but also as a winner at this track? KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don’t know. Because I’m here in INDYCAR, I feel like it’s a totally different environment, so I haven’t really thought about the Brickyard and winning that. But no, I mean, it is great to know that I’ve won here on the oval, and it would be even neater to win in INDYCAR now. But yeah, that Brickyard 400 was one of my most special wins for sure, just getting to win at an iconic venue like this with all the history between everybody who’s raced here and won here. Yeah, it was an awesome experience, and looking to add to it hopefully next month. Q. You mentioned the process of knocking the rust off throughout the day. It looked like you were getting more confident in traffic as the day went on. Describe that process of reacclimatizing yourself to the speed of an INDYCAR. KYLE LARSON: Yeah, yeah. Like I mentioned earlier, the ROP is — it’s funny for guys who have done it, raced in this race 10 plus years, but for me, I actually — I’m curious what they think, too. I’m sure they probably enjoy not having to go wide open right away. Yeah, it was nice to build into it. But once you kind of break through that barrier of running wide open for a full lap, everything kind of slows down quickly and you can trust everything a little bit better. But once you get in traffic, just kind of like feeling the runs and the air and all that is a challenge. My balance wasn’t where I would have liked it to be, so that made traffic really tough for me. I couldn’t really be close to anybody. I felt like we got a little bit better there at the end, but I think that was more the track temp probably coming down. So yeah, that’s an area where I think we need to work quite a bit on is the traffic balance, which I’m sure everybody would love to be perfect in traffic, but that’s hard to do here. But we’ll see. Like I said, we’ll go back and have a debrief with the teammates, see what they felt, see if anything what I’m feeling is similar to what they are. I would imagine it probably is. Yeah, talk through it and just try and get better as a team and just communicate well. THE MODERATOR: We’ll see you back here tomorrow morning. Thanks, Kyle.