After third and second place runs on Wednesday and Thursday, Kyle Larson would not be denied on Friday night

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 8, 2025) – A Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals gator was one of few pieces missing from Kyle Larson’s résumé. But there’d be no stopping him from filling that line on Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

He was third on Wednesday. He climbed to second on Thursday. The hunger grew and grew. And finally on Friday in his 19^thattempt, Larson caught himself a gator.

“Yung Money” started on the pole of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Feature and never looked back. Lapped traffic appeared as if it may make things interesting with Christopher Bell stalking in second, but a timely yellow gave Larson open track. He refused to watch Bell celebrate two nights in a row. They’re friends but also fierce competitors.

Larson survived a handful of late restarts and parked the Silva Motorsports No. 57 in Victory Lane at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” for the first time.

“It’s (Volusia) a place that I feel like I’ve raced well,” Larson said. “I just always start so far back. I haven’t felt like that gator has been close enough. We’ve been getting the night started off pretty well, and my car feels really good throughout the night. I felt really good there again.

“It’s cool to win here at Volusia. It’s cool to have a lot of our supporters here this weekend and great to see a packed house too.”

It was roles reversed from the previous night when Bell narrowly fended off Larson. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion lined up on the pole and took off right away. Danny Sams III took the second spot from Bell early on, but the Norman, OK native rallied to reclaim it on Lap 13. He closed in on Larson in traffic, but some late cautions put Larson in clean air, and he drove the Silva Motorsports No. 57 to victory.

“It got kind of a little easy to run the top, so the lappers were just as fast as I was,” Larson said. “I felt like Bell would be closing on me, but I was able to make a couple good moves. I think the cautions probably came out at the right time for me, and I was able to have clean air to the end there.”

Larson’s 36^th career win with The Greatest Show on Dirt equaled him with his former driver, Shane Stewart, for 22^nd all-time. Volusia is the 18^th different track where he’s topped a World of Outlaws race. Larson will also enter Saturday’s finale with an eight-point lead in the Big Gator standings with a strong chance to capture the reptilian championship trophy.

Bell came up just one spot short of back-to-back Volusia victories. The current NASCAR competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing now has podiums in four of his last five races at “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” While Bell thought he was outmatched on Friday, he found himself wishing the race would’ve went caution-free to give him a shot.

“I definitely wanted it to stay green,” Bell said. “But ultimately, he got away from me even before the yellow came out. Ultimately, on the start me not being able to fall into second and follow behind him cost me a shot at it. But the car felt really good.”

Rounding out the podium was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports No. 2. The defending champion continued his strong start to 2025 with his third consecutive finish of fourth or better. He’s closest to Larson in the DIRTcar Nationalsstandings and looking to claim a record fourth Big Gator on Saturday.

“When it got congested there, we were really good,” Gravel said. “I think our car was the best right there in the middle of the race and was able to use the bottom here in (Turns) 3 and 4 to pass those guys. I think we passed two in one corner. Another good race car just a little too late. You put Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell on the front row it’s going to be tough to beat them.”

Brad Sweet and Ryan Timms completed the top five.

Logan Schuchart drove from 19^th to eighth to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger.

Danny Sams III claimed his first career Simpson Quick Time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Two, and Four went to Carson Macedo, Brian Brown and Christopher Bell. WIX Filters Heat Three belonged to Kyle Larson.

Bell got the SPA Technique #1 Redraw for the second night in a row.

Kyle Larson topped the Toyota Racing Dash.

Giovanni Scelzi won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Anthony Macri.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car portion of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals closes out with a $20,000-to-win/$1,500-to-start finale on Saturday, Feb. 8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

For the entire 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car schedule, CLICK HERE.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[1]; 2. 69K-Christopher Bell[2]; 3. 2-David Gravel[5]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 5. 10-Ryan Timms[7]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[6]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[13]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[19]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[9]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[3]; 11. 21-Brian Brown[8]; 12. 88-Austin McCarl[11]; 13. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[16]; 14. 83-Michael Kofoid[22]; 15. 27-Emerson Axsom[10]; 16. 1A-Jacob Allen[14]; 17. 15-Donny Schatz[25]; 18. 26-Justin Peck[17]; 19. 9-Kasey Kahne[15]; 20. 5-Brenham Crouch[23]; 21. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[21]; 22. 23-Garet Williamson[18]; 23. 99-Skylar Gee[20]; 24. 6-Zach Hampton[27]; 25. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[24]; 26. 39M-Anthony Macri[12]; 27. 7S-Chris Windom[26]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK SCORCHES BRADENTON WITH A 3.791 QUALIFIER  Beckman, Brittany Also Turn in Solid Efforts at PRO Superstar Shootout

BRADENTON, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2025) – Led by defending Funny Car champion Austin Prock’s record-setting turn in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, John Force Racing advanced all three of its drivers to the elimination phase of the second PRO Superstar Shootout concluding Saturday at Bradenton Motorsports Park.  Prock, who won last year’s Shootout in his first race in a nitro Funny Car, made the quickest run in history during Friday’s final qualifying session, stopping the timers in 3.791 seconds at a speed of 331.53 miles per hour. That barrier-buster was the climax to a dominant week for the 29-year-old phenom who was quickest in testing (3.805 seconds) and quickest in all four qualifying sessions (3.861, 3.882, 3.860 and 3.791).  Now, all that stands between him and a second straight Shootout title are three elimination rounds on Saturday. “That thing was trucking down there,” Prock said of his historic 3.791 that is two ticks quicker than the official NHRA record of 3.793 set by his predecessor in the Cornwell Chevy, Robert Hight.  “I had my hands full. I got really close to the centerline and that might have scrubbed off that three-thousandths we needed to go (3).78.  But I’m really proud of this team.  “It’s been eight years since someone has run (3).79,” he continued.  “The race cars and rules were much different (then), so to get back to that number says a lot about this team, says a lot about my dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock), Thomas (Prock) and Nate (Hildahl).  They do a really good job and it sure is fun.” While Prock was dominating, JFR teammates Jack Beckman and Brittany Force also interjected themselves solidly into the Saturday conversation with stellar qualifying efforts. Beckman was second quickest to Prock on Friday at 3.825 seconds in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy SS and, after failing to make the starting field a year ago, Brittany was third best in Top Fuel qualifying in a Monster Energy Chevrolet in which she posted a time of 3.664 seconds at 335.73 mph in the last session. That run delivered the two-time World Champion to the finish line just ahead of Doug Kalitta, significant because those two will square off in a monster first round showdown Saturday, the result of the unique chip draw system used to determine opponents.  “Solid day of qualifying for this Monster Energy team,” Brittany said.  “We ran a 3.66 in the final session. We were aiming to run a little quicker than that but overall, looking at testing, looking at qualifying, we’re in a pretty good position. “We’ll be ready tomorrow.  (Kalitta) is one of the toughest out here but nothing this team hasn’t handled before.  We’re excited.  This is a fun event and we want to go some rounds, turn some win lights on and end up in the winners’ circle.” Beckman, who was the color commentator at last year’s Superstar Shootout, may not have been as quick this week as his teammate but he’s no less enthusiastic about his race car and the upcoming season, the first in five years in which he will race the full NHRA schedule and chase a championship he last won in 2012  “So, a lot of times drivers will say, ‘well that car pulled hard’ or ‘I never felt it pull that hard before,’” he said of his closing 3.825.  “Well, we just got done with the crew chiefs looking at our G-meter and, from 200 to 500 feet, we averaged five-and-a-half Gs. It was absolutely unbelievable. I have never sat in a racecar that pulled that hard before. “We’re still safe the first 300 feet of the track, (so) we’re literally leaving a couple hundreds on the table and still running with the top cars,” he said.  “I cannot wait for the national anthem tomorrow. “There’s no slouches here,” said the former Super Comp World Champion (2003).  “What I didn’t want was to be paired with Austin Prock (in the first round).  Obviously, you can’t look past anyone out here.  It’s going to be a titanic first round clash (with four-time world champion Matt Hagan), But our PEAK car is just thumping.” While Beckman-Hagan and Force-Kalitta are awesome first round match-ups, the pairing most people were talking about after the chip draw was Prock versus Bob Tasca III in a battle between the only cars and drivers that have broken the 340 mph barrier.  Tasca did so at this race a year ago before Prock set the official NHRA speed record when he crossed the finish line at 341.68 mph during last November’s In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif. “Everyone on the internet is going to think it was staged,” Prock said of that match-up.  “It’s exciting.  It’s going to be great for the fans.  We love racing Tasca.  He was one of the guys with a winning record against us last year.  We know how tough that team is and we enjoy racing them.   “He’s a good leaver and Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks can turn those knobs, right? So, it should be an exciting first round.  I’m looking forward to it.  It’s the first race day of the year and there’s nothing better than those first round jitters.”

OCALA, FL (February 7, 2025) – The reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion Ricky Thornton Jr. led from start to finish on Friday night at the Wieland Winter Nationals held at Ocala Speedway, earning $12,000 for his 45th career series victory. Hudson O’Neal took the second spot on lap 17 from Devin Moran and held it for the rest of the race, securing his best tour finish of the year. Moran rounded out the Big River Steel podium in third, with Bobby Pierce finishing fourth and Jonathan Davenport completing the top five. Thornton moved for the lead on the opening lap, passing Moran for the top spot. Thornton and Moran then ran 1-2 until Brian Shirley, who started third, moved into the runner-up spot on lap five. A flat right rear tire on lap 16 ended his hopes for his first career series win. Moran had moved into second place, ahead of Shirley before his flat tire. On lap 17, Moran saw O’Neal pass him to take the second position. O’Neal, Moran, and Bobby Pierce battled fiercely for the next several laps while Thornton maintained a healthy lead over that trio, crossing the finish line in first by 2.503 seconds. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the third time this season in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, and for the fourth in his career at Ocala, Thornton commented: “I I was more frustrated that I lapped Jimmy (Owens) during that lap when I was approaching the caution. I really didn’t want to see the yellow; I felt like I had a great pace going, and after that, it was like I needed to drive hard for a bit. I mean, it really highlights how good this Longhorn/Bilstein car is. I feel like we are picking up right where we left off last year. So hopefully, we can maintain this speed and have a solid run tomorrow.” “I I was trying to get myself clear of the lapped cars,” Thornton added. “I felt like I could enter one and slide across to really get a good run off of two. I think I got to the 79 car, but he was actually better than I was off the bottom, so I moved down and watched Jimmy pass about four cars off turn two on the wall. I thought I’d better get back up there. The car’s been really good. I felt like we needed this one; we’ve been close since we put this new one in together.” O’Neal was on the Big River Steel Podium for the first time in 2025 with the tour and had a hard battle with Moran and Pierce for much of the race. “It’s It’s great to have this run. Like I said earlier, I felt like we’ve had some speed, but we just haven’t really been able to do anything with it. We don’t qualify very well, and it makes it really tough. I especially felt that if we ever got in the position to start up front, we would run up front, and we did tonight. Ricky was a little better than us. It was a good first night to be here on the podium, so we’ll go back and work on it to see if we can improve a bit for tomorrow night.”  Moran continued his consistent performance this season by taking the third spot at the finish. “I we need to restart better. I felt like we had a really good car. I don’t know if we could have kept up with Ricky and the others every single restart; I would have to work to pass them. Hudson was good enough that I couldn’t get by him again. You can’t complain about a third-place finish, especially with these guys. It seems like there are different winners almost every night, and someone goes on a streak. We need to work on it a little bit. We picked up our qualifying game tonight, and we just have to keep working on it restarts.” The winner’s Koehler Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, EMD Wraps, and Certified Inspection Services.  Completing the top ten were Kyle Bronson, Dake Troutman, Daulton Wilson, Bradon Sheppard, and Max Blair. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 4Friday, February 7, 2025Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.246 secondsFast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.181 seconds (overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[4]; 5. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[8]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[7]; 8. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 10. 9-Tim McCreadie[3]; 11. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[11] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[1]; 3. 111-Max Blair[4]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[9]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 7. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 8. 11-Austin Smith[7]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[8]; 10. 000-Matt Nailor[11]; 11. 96-Tanner English[10] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 4. 18-Chase Junghans[6]; 5. 15K-Wil Herrington[9]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 7. 09-Michael Leach[8]; 8. 19M-Spencer Hughes[10]; 9. 79-Donald McIntosh[7]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 11. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[5]; 4. 20-Jimmy Owens[4]; 5. 1T-Tyler Erb[8]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[2]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[7]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 9. 18D-Daulton Wilson[6]; 10. 32J-Jason Jack[10] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[4]; 2. 43-Derrick Stewart[6]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 5. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 6. 11-Austin Smith[8]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[1]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[10]; 10. 000-Matt Nailor[12]; 11. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 12. 96-Tanner English[14]; 13. 9-Tim McCreadie[11]; 14. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[13] UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 15K-Wil Herrington[1]; 3. 99B-Boom Briggs[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 6. 09-Michael Leach[5]; 7. 19M-Spencer Hughes[7]; 8. 79-Donald McIntosh[9]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 10. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 11. 32J-Jason Jack[12]; 12. 18D-Daulton Wilson[10]; 13. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[13] Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 4 Feature Finish (50 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 2 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $12,0002 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $6,0003 – 1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $3,5004 – 6 – 32 – Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – $2,8005 – 10 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $2,5006 – 5 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,3007 – 13 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $2,2008 – 24 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $2,1009 – 9 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,05010 – 11 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,00011 – 15 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,60012 – 18 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,40013 – 12 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,20014 – 8 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $1,10015 – 16 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $1,05016 – 27 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $10017 – 23 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $1,00018 – 17 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,00019 – 25 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $10020 – 3 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,00021 – 21 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $1,00022 – 20 – 15K – Wil Herrington – Hawkinsville, GA – $1,00023 – 7 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $1,00024 – 22 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – $1,00025 – 14 – 18 – Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – $1,00026 – 26 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $10027 – 19 – 43 – Derrick Stewart – Ainsworth, IA – $1,000 Race Statistics  Entrants: 43Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Devin MoranMD3 Lap Leaders: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 1-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Wieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 2.503 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Tyler Bruening (Lap 4); Blair Nothdurft (Lap 6); Brian Shirley (Lap 16); Garrett Alberson (Lap 43)Series Provisionals: Tim McCreadie; Daulton WilsonFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: Ross Robinson; Tyler Bruening; Donald McIntoshTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Bobby Pierce, Jonathan DavenportPEM 4th Place Feature: Bobby PierceDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Jonathan DavenportWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Drake TroutmanWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Carson FergusonMD3 24th Place Feature: Boom BriggsHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Daulton Wilson (Advanced 16 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (50 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 5 | 15.325 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Hard Luck Award: Garrett AlbersonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Nathan SlettoARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Jonathan Davenport (14.1228 seconds)Time of Race: 24 minutes 07 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1125 – $40,1002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1115 – $38,3003 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1075 – $41,2004 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 1020 – $20,2755 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1005 – $20,3506 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 970 – $16,3007 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 965 – $14,5008 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 945 – $17,9509 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 905 – $14,25010 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 900 – $11,90011 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 895 – $19,20012 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 895 – $17,92513 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 870 – $9,70014 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 820 – $10,50015 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 805 – $10,17516 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 800 – $13,55017 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 780 – $4,90018 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 775 – $13,35019 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 715 – $8,40020 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 710 – $4,80021 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 705 – $6,42522 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 680 – $5,72523 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 670 – $4,17524 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 630 – $2,55025 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 620 – $4,55026 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 620 – $3,17527 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 580 – $3,40028 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 575 – $3,70029 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 530 – $1,70030 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 500 – $3,72531 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 465 – $1,50032 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 465 – $2,600

 

BRADENTON, FL (February 7, 2025) — Stellar conditions and aggressive crew chiefs combined to produce one of the quickest fields across Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock categories in recent memory today at the 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout. Multi-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown ran to the top of a stacked field of eight with a career quickest 3.644 second, 322.11 mph run. Funny Car world champion and defending SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout winner Austin Prock held onto the No. 1 spot with one of the quickest runs in Funny Car history, 3.791 seconds at 331.53 mph. Pro Stock rising star Cory Reed drove his KB Titan Racing powered Chevrolet Camaro to the No. 1 spot in Pro Stock with a career quickest 6.494 second run at 209.62 mph.

Brown waited until the final session to wow the near capacity crowd at Bradenton Motorsports Park with his No. 1 qualifier pass. The three-time world champion knew he needed to drop a big number at the superstar event.

“This is the PRO Shootout. What that means is, everybody’s gonna come here and you 
have nothing to lose,” said Brown. “This is one of those races you come out and you want to show out. When you see other teams running low 3.60s you just want to be part of that gang. You know, this year, the field will be so tight. At the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout everybody’s going to bring the best out that they got.”

Antron Brown blasts to the top in the Matco Top Fuel dragster. photo credit Auto Imagery

Following the final round of qualifying the eight quickest Top Fuel drivers drew chips to find out who their first-round opponent would be. The unique format is one of the special twists at the PRO Superstar Shootout. Brown and Shawn Reed will square off in the first round. 

Other key first round matchups will be Doug Kalitta, the provisional No. 1 qualifier against Brittany Force and two of the best drivers off the starting line, Justin Ashley versus Shawn Langdon. The final pair of the quick eight will feature Josh Hart versus NASCAR Hall of Famer turned drag racer Tony Stewart. 

Brown ran to the top spot in his championship winning dragster after he had a tire issue on the third qualifying session. It was the first run on the Top Fuel dragster since it had a significant chassis adjustment over the off-season. 

“This was our car from last year that we won the championship with,” said Brown. (Crew chief) Brian (Corradi) told me if it feels good, just drive it all the way. He wants to see the number come up on the board. I saw the 3.644 come up and I was like, ‘Lord have mercy.’ It gives us a little bit of confidence, because we’ve been trying to get our new combination to go there.”

Defending Funny Car event winner Prock dominated qualifying at the second annual SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout. The reigning NHRA Funny Car world champion had the quickest elapsed time during each of the four qualifying sessions.
 
Handling the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for his second season, Prock came out of the gates with a 3.816-second pass at 332.84 mph to earn the provisional No. 1 qualifying position on Thursday night. His teammate, Jack Beckman, who was making his first appearance at the specialty pre-season event, followed behind him with a 3.836 at 329.99.

Austin Prock will be looking for back-to-back SCAG PRO Superstar Shoout wins, photo credit Auto Imagery

“Man, this thing was trucking down there, and I had my hands full. I got really close to the center line down there,” said Prock, following his final qualifying run. “Really proud of this team. We’ve been working at this for so long, and, you know, it’s been, I think, eight years now, since someone’s run 3.79 in Funny Car. The race cars, limitations and rules were much different then. To get back to that number, it says a lot about this team.”

Prock would keep the momentum during Friday afternoon, laying down a solid 3.882 second run at 326.56 mph during the warmest part of the day followed by a 3.860 at 332.10.
 
The final qualifying session would mix things up in the Funny Car field. Matt Hagan in the American Rebel Dodge Charger SRT would jump from fourth to second after a stout 3.82-second pass at 328.22 mph. Not to be outdone, Prock and his Cornwell Tools team gave the fans a show with their No. 1 qualifier run of 3.791 seconds at 331.84 mph side-by-side with Beckman going 3.825 at 334.32, the top speed of the event so far.
 
In the chip draw, it would be Bob Tasca III, driving the PPG Ford Mustang that broke the 340-mph barrier at last year’s event with a 341.68 mph run, that would matchup with No. 1 qualifier Prock. When all was said and done, Hagan, the No. 2 qualifier, matched with No. 3 qualifier Beckman.

“Everyone on the internet is going to think it was staged, but that’s the funny thing about coincidences, right?,” said Prock “It’s going to be great for the fans. We love racing Bob Tasca. He was one of the drivers that had a winning record against us last year. We know how tough that team is, and we enjoy racing them. “

The Pro Stock class saw nearly half a dozen drivers race into the low 6.50 second range before Reed broke through with an eye-popping 6.494 second run in the final qualifying session under the lights. His teammate Greg Anderson joined him at the top of the field with a 6.498 second run but it was Reed’s night to celebrate his first career No. 1 qualifier as a professional driver.

Cory Reed secured his first career No. 1 today at Bradenton  Motorsports Park, photo credit Auto Imagery

“It just felt fast,” said Reed, who is entering his second season as a Pro Stock driver after competing in the Pro Stock Motorcycle ranks. “I didn’t expect it to go 6.49 seconds. We were hoping for sure. I totally thought that (reigning world champion) Greg Anderson was gonna blow me out of the freaking water.”

“It’s a lot of fun, no matter, even the bad runs are fun,” said Reed. “Drifting a Pro Stock car, across the starting line and doing burnouts is cool. Then the chip draw is a little bit of wild card. It doesn’t matter in this class, to be honest, if you don’t go up there and have a 0.30 reaction time or better, you’re probably gonna lose. 

“The energy here, it’s awesome,” said Reed. “The people have been great. The fan turnout looks good. I was looking at the stands and it was pretty packed.”

Gates will open at 8 a.m. at Bradenton Motorsports Park and the first round of eliminations for the pros will begin at 12:30 p.m. with Pro Stock rookie Matt Latino taking on David Cuadra. For more information visit www.prosuperstarshootout.com.


First Round Match-ups

Pro Stock
 
Matt Latino (7) vs. David Cuadra (9)
Dallas Glenn (3) vs. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (6)
Greg Anderson (2) vs. Erica Enders (5)
Aaron Stanfield (4) vs. Chris McGaha (16)
Fernando Cuadra Jr. (11) vs. Cristian Cuadra (12)
Deric Kramer (8) vs. Greg Stanfield (13)
 
Funny Car
 
Chad Green (7) vs. Bobby Bode (8)
Ron Capps (4) vs. Daniel Wilkerson (5)
Matt Hagan (2) vs. Jack Beckman (3)
Austin Prock (1) vs. Bob Tasca III (6)
 
Top Fuel
 
Doug Kalitta (2) vs. Brittany Force (3)
Josh Hart (7) vs. Tony Stewart (8)
Antron Brown (1) vs. Shawn Reed (6)
Justin Ashley (4) vs. Shawn Langdon (5)

The two stars rekindle their rivalry with a Volusia thriller on night two of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar NationalsBARBERVILLE, FL (February 6, 2025) – It’s the rivalry Sprint Car fans have missed for a long few years. Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson. But it came roaring back in a big way on Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.A heartbreaking spin for Emerson Axsom set up a three-lap duel to the finish for the dirt racers at heart that’ve become stars of the NASCAR Cup Series. And the two titans delivered.Bell led the way, and Larson threw everything at him. Bell kept the Kreitz Racing No. 69K glued to the bottom in Turns 1 and 2 while Larson ripped the Silva Motorsports No. 57 around the top. Bell slid himself in Turns 3 and 4 leaving Larson to try crossovers. It came down to the final corner of the last lap as Bell again drifted up in front of Larson. The Elk Grove, CA native ducked under Bell as they exited Turn 4. The two drag raced to the checkered flag, and it was Bell holding off Larson by .05 seconds for his first gator.The finish brought the entire crowd to their feet. Fans got a taste of the two battling on dirt last month when Bell held off Larson in similar fashion at the Tulsa Shootout. And the rivalry was rekindled even more as Bell bested him again for a Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals gator and $12,000.“It’s just absolutely incredible,” Bell said. “I’m just so thankful that my boss Joe Gibbs and everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing has allowed me to come out here and do this. It’s so much fun. Winning Outlaw races is my pride and joy. I don’t have many of them to my name, and I’m just so thankful to be in the 69K and get to add another one. It truly is a dream come true to be racing out here.”It was Bell’s first Sprint Car win in only his second race back since taking a hiatus from dirt in 2022. The victory was also his first with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars since October 13, 2019 at Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway. The Norman, OK native is up to six wins with The Greatest Show on Dirt for five different teams – Fox Racing, Keith Kunz Motorsports, Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing, CB Industries, and Kreitz Racing.For team owner Don Kreitz Jr., it was the iconic No. 69K’s first Series triumph in the state of Florida, and Bell is the third different driver to win a World of Outlaws race in the car, joining Kreitz himself and Lance Dewease.“It’s a pleasure to drive, for sure,” Bell said. “He’s (Kreitz Jr.) a magician whenever it comes to working on this thing. It just rolls around the corner really, really good. I feel like the slicker it gets the better off this car is going to be. The cushion is a little bit tricky. I’ve got to figure out how to drive a little bit better when it starts to get thicker.”It was back-to-back podiums for Larson in the Silva Motorsports No. 57. He backed up Wednesday’s third with Thursday’s runner-up. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion continues to bang on the door on his first Volusia win. He did everything he could to make it happen, but he couldn’t quite sneak by.“I thought I did a pretty good job on that last restart of staying with him on the frontstretch and thought I was going to be able to build enough of a run,” Larson said. “But this place is so wide. To run the top is a long ways around. It was difficult, but I thought I could get enough grip and speed to the center of (Turns) 3 and 4 that maybe I could get lucky enough to catch some traction as I diamonded and get a little bit of a run to get by him into (Turn) 1. Just came up a little bit short.”Rounding out the podium was Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing No. 1S. It was an encouraging run for the Hanover, PA native who had to wait until late June for his first top three in 2024. It makes Schuchart the de facto point leader as the two ahead of him won’t be competing full-time.“Tonight, I felt really good just moving around traffic at certain times,” Schuchart said. “Kyle is going to do a really good job and not make many mistakes. I just didn’t get around some lapped cars as quick as I needed to in (Turns) 3 and 4 and kind of lost a little bit of momentum. I went to get back to the top and try to diamond (Turns) 1 and 2, and by that time Kyle was on my left rear and got to the bottom before I did. That took me out of the fight there a little bit.”It was a devastating night for Emerson Axsom. The 20-year-old native of Indiana looked to be on his way to his first World of Outlaws checkered flag, but a slight mistake while leading resulted in a spin in Turn 4 with a only a few laps remaining.David Gravel and Brad Sweet completed the top five.Ryan Timms drove from 21st to 10th to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger.Kyle Larson claimed Simpson Quick Time honors.NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Two, and Four went to Kyle Larson, Bill Balog, and Carson Macedo. WIX Filters Heat Three belonged to Christopher Bell.The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Christopher Bell.Bell also topped the Toyota Racing Dash.Ryan Timms won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Emerson Axsom.UP NEXT: The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals roll on to night three on Friday, Feb. 7 at Volusia Speedway Park. It’s another $12,000 and a gator on the line for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, watch every lap all season long on DIRTVision.For the entire 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car schedule, CLICK HERE.FEATURE RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 69K-Christopher Bell[1]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 4. 2-David Gravel[12]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet[9]; 6. 17B-Bill Balog[6]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz[13]; 8. 26-Justin Peck[11]; 9. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[10]; 10. 10-Ryan Timms[21]; 11. 83-Michael Kofoid[19]; 12. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 13. 21-Brian Brown[5]; 14. 71-Parker Price Miller[22]; 15. 24D-Danny Sams III[8]; 16. 39M-Anthony Macri[15]; 17. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[17]; 18. 1A-Jacob Allen[23]; 19. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[25]; 20. 7S-Chris Windom[20]; 21. 27-Emerson Axsom[3]; 22. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[24]; 23. 2C-Cole Macedo[27]; 24. 23-Garet Williamson[16]; 25. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[14]; 26. 88-Austin McCarl[18]; 27. 6-Zach Hampton[26]; 28. 99-Skylar Gee[28]For complete results, CLICK HERE.ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/cbells-back-christopher-bell-fends-off-larson-for-first-world-of-outlaws-win-in-six-years/EVENT INFO: https://dirtcarnationals.com/ TRACK INFO: https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

PROCK, BECKMAN GO 1-2 ON FIRST DAY AT BRADENTONBrittany Takes Monster Chevy to Provisional No. 2 Spot at PRO Superstar Shootout

BRADENTON, Fla. (Feb. 5, 2025) – Three months after winning the NHRA Mission Foods Championship in his first season in a nitro Funny Car, Austin Prock showed no signs of a sophomore swoon Thursday as he powered the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position for Saturday’s second PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park. The 29-year-old son of Cornwell crew chief Jimmy Prock stopped the timers in 3.816 seconds at 332.84 miles per hour, just a couple of ticks off the track record-topping 3.805 he put on the board during testing on Wednesday.  Second best Thursday was JFR teammate “Fast Jack” Beckman, who coaxed the also brand-new PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy to a time of 3.836 seconds at 329.99 mph. Not to be outdone, two-time Top Fuel World Champion Brittany Force also turned in a stellar opening day performance, qualifying her Monster Energy Chevrolet No. 2 behind only defending event champion Doug Kalitta.  Kalitta grabbed the top spot at 3.658 seconds, 332.84 mph with Brittany just a couple of clicks behind at 3.675, 334.15 mph. “Pretty solid start to qualifying,” said the second youngest of John Force’s racing daughters.  “Car went right down the racetrack and it did exactly what we wanted it to do.  So, we feel really good going into tomorrow.  Now we can really push and see what we can get away with going into race day.” Three rounds of qualifying Friday will set the eight-car lineups for Saturday eliminations in the biggest drag race outside of the Mission Series. “We backed it down a little,” Prock said of a run that was quickest at every increment.  “It’s tough to say that when you run 3.81, but we just wanted to make sure it went down the racetrack and it was a nice, safe run to get us locked in the show.  That way we can have three opportunities to learn tomorrow.  “We have a morning session, an afternoon session and an evening session, so a lot to be learned and we’re in a good place to do that,” said the man who won the inaugural Superstar Shootout in his very first race as a Funny Car driver.  “Really proud of this team,” he continued.  “That was quite the hectic run. When we closed the body for the burnout, the windshield was completely fogged over.  I couldn’t see on the burnout (but) they wiped it off and it was about fifty or sixty percent cleared up when I was staging.  I was going to stand on the gas regardless.  It’s not the first time I’ve driven with a fogged windshield. “This racetrack has a lot of grip, and if you do a little hack-sawing on the wheel, it can take it most of the time. So, I got it down there.  It wasn’t the prettiest, but definitely locked us in at No. 1.” Beckman, making his first competitive appearance in the Shootout after serving as the color commentator at last year’s event, also was pleased with the first few runs he has made in the PEAK Chevy as he prepares to chase the championship over the course of an entire season for the first time since 2020. “So cool,” said the 2012 NHRA Funny Car champ.  “Thursday. Night session.  Last pair of Funny Cars, the No. 1 and 2 cars in the country last year and we go to No. 1 and 2 in qualifying. Our PEAK Chevy SS was awesome. It did everything we wanted it to do and there’s more in it for tomorrow night.” For Brittany, Thursday’s performance was particularly important.  A year ago, she posted a quick time in testing, just as she did this year, but in 2024 she wasn’t able to repeat during qualifying and ultimately failed to make the starting lineup.  She and crew chiefs David Grubnic and John Collins were determined not to follow that same path this time around.   “We want to obviously redeem ourselves from last year,” Grubnic said.  “We want to keep the momentum going on how we finished the season.  So, for right now, we just have to make sure we keep crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s.”

OCALA, FL (February 6, 2025) – Jonathan Davenport secured his second consecutive Wieland Winter Nationals feature on Thursday night at Ocala Speedway, as the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion fended off Brandon Overton to capture the $10,000 victory. The final results will show that Davenport led all 40 laps, but Overton caught up to Davenport as they approached the white flag. However, he could never pass him to steal the win from his fellow Georgian, who triumphed by 0.538 seconds at the finish line. Kyle Bronson achieved his best series finish of the year, taking third, followed by Brandon Sheppard and Devin Moran, who rounded out the top five drivers. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 85th time in his career, Davenport also was victorious at Ocala for the fifth time in his career, the most all-time for any late model driver during Speedweeks at the egg-shaped track. “He (Overton) made me more worried than I should have been. I didn’t know he was coming like that at the very end. It was kind of slimy around the bottom, so he just kept chasing it down and blowing it out. That was why I didn’t think we could move, and since I was in the front, I couldn’t tell what everyone else was doing. Once I got to the lapped cars, I didn’t think I could pass any on the outside. I think they finally rolled in a little of that slime through one and two. It was a little better through the middle, but it was kind of bumpy. As long as your car wouldn’t bounce too badly, I guess that was why he got that good run. Other than that, I was just blocking.” Overton, in his return to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2025, was the third different driver to run second during the 40-lap race, joining Sheppard and Bronson in that category. “I I felt like I was doing everything I could. I almost made a move on him there, but I just got my right rear quarter-panel in the wall and couldn’t get low enough to take the lead. It was an awesome race. If the fans didn’t enjoy that, they might as well stop coming. The wins are on the way. I feel like I have the best crew in the business. I just want to win one; I mean, we’re really close to winning one.” Bronson, looking for his first series win since taking the Silver Dollar Nationals in 2021, regained the third position on lap 33 to round out the Big River Steel Podium.               “It definitely feels good to get a good finish. I have been down on myself a little bit. We’ve got everything we need to win; we just need to put the right pieces in the right places and go after it.” The winner’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna-Gro Seed, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top ten were Spencer Hughes, Ross Robinson, Tyler Bruening, Tanner English, and Dillon McCowan. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 3Thursday, February 6, 2025Ocala Speedway – Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Jonathan Davenport | 14.246 seconds Fast Time Group B: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 14.181 seconds (overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 19M-Spencer Hughes[2]; 3. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 4. 96-Tanner English[4]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[6]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 8. 93-Carson Ferguson[11]; 9. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 10. 55C-Chad Mahder[12]; 11. 28B-Carson Brown[8]; 12. 81-Jason Riggs[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 6. 11-Austin Smith[5]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[9]; 8. 15K-Wil Herrington[8]; 9. 24-Tyler Wyant[11]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[10]; 11. 18-Chase Junghans[6] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 9-Tim McCreadie[6]; 5. 79-Donald McIntosh[4]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 7. 1T-Tyler Erb[7]; 8. 81J-Jack Riggs[8]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[10]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 11. 000-Matt Nailor[11] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 5. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 6. 111-Max Blair[7]; 7. 6-Clay Harris[8]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. 32J-Jason Jack[10]; 11. (DNS) 17Z-Seth Zacharias Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 15K-Wil Herrington[8]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[9]; 5. 11-Austin Smith[4]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[12]; 7. 55C-Chad Mahder[11]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[14]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 10. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 11. 17SS-Brenden Smith[6]; 12. 93-Carson Ferguson[7]; 13. 24-Tyler Wyant[10]; 14. (DNS) 28B-Carson Brown; 15. (DNS) 81-Jason Riggs UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[2]; 2. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[5]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 5. 111-Max Blair[4]; 6. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 8. 20-Jimmy Owens[8]; 9. 57-Matt Tifft[9]; 10. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[14]; 11. 32J-Jason Jack[12]; 12. 000-Matt Nailor[13]; 13. 09-Michael Leach[11]; 14. (DNS) 81J-Jack Riggs Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 3 Feature Finish (40 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $10,0002 – 4 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $5,5003 – 2 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $3,5004 – 3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,7005 – 7 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,5006 – 5 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $2,3007 – 15 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $2,2008 – 18 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $2,1009 – 13 – 96 – Tanner English – Benton, KY – $2,05010 – 12 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $2,00011 – 23 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,60012 – 10 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,40013 – 21 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,20014 – 6 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,00015 – 17 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $95016 – 25 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $92517 – 19 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $90018 – 27 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $17519 – 22 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $85020 – 11 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $82521 – 20 – 15K – Wil Herrington – Hawkinsville, GA – $80022 – 8 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $80023 – 16 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $80024 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $10025 – 9 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $80026 – 14 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $80027 – 26 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $100 Race Statistics  Entrants: 45Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 0.538 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Drake Troutman (Lap 2); Brenden Smith (Lap 12); Dan Ebert (Lap 17); Tim McCreadie (Lap 18); Mark Whitener, Dan Ebert, Daulton Wilson, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson (Lap 32)Series Provisionals: Daulton Wilson; Max BlairFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisional: Brenden Smith; Carson Ferguson; Dan EbertTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Kyle BronsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Devin MoranPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Devin MoranWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Ross RobinsonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Max BlairDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Tyler ErbMD3 24th Place Feature: Dan EbertHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Max Blair (Advanced 12 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (40 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran Pro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 3 | 14.676 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Brandon OvertonHard Luck Award: Daulton WilsonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brian Shirley (14.324 seconds)Time of Race: 25 minutes 38 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1090 – $34,8002 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 1045 – $37,6003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 980 – $19,2504 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 965 – $18,1755 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 965 – $14,9006 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 945 – $12,4507 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 940 – $29,2008 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 935 – $15,9509 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 895 – $19,10010 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 870 – $9,60011 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 860 – $12,65012 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 825 – $9,60013 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 790 – $11,92514 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 780 – $12,55015 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 770 – $9,45016 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 765 – $8,97517 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 745 – $4,80018 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 710 – $4,70019 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 705 – $11,15020 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 700 – $8,30021 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 680 – $5,42522 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 645 – $3,17523 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 600 – $4,72524 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 595 – $2,45025 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 595 – $3,07526 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 585 – $3,55027 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 570 – $3,300

 

Pro Stock
Dallas Glenn, 6.515 sec at 210.28 mph

Pro Stock Provisional No. 1 Qualifier Dallas Glenn, photo for media use only Krista Zivcic

“These guys have been wearing out the dyno over there in the engine shop, and I’ve been driving all over the country, picking up trailers and testing and getting new people licensed. So that feels really good. After a long week of testing, we thought we had something good. We were just kind of babying everything. We learned a few things through testing and tried to go out there and lay a great one down. I don’t know if it’ll hold up for tomorrow, but it’s going to make it tough. And I’d rather be on top, looking down than looking up.”

“We work all winter long, and this event is the perfect opportunity to see what we worked on, see how it works against everybody else. It’s kind of like that first test for Formula One. Everybody kind of gets to see what their hard work is and what they need to make tweaks on. Pro Stock is so competitive, we want to come out swinging at every moment, because if you don’t, then you’re just going to end up with a big mountain to climb.” 

“We see some new fans here that we don’t normally see because we are a little farther south here from Gainesville, where we start the NHRA season in March. We had an autograph session earlier and I got to meet a lot of nice people. We signed some autographs and it was a lot of fun.” 

Funny Car
Austin Prock, 3.816 sec at 332.84 mph

Funny Car Provisional No. 1 Austin Prock, photo for media use only by Krista Zivcic

“We’ve been making some really good runs here in testing the last few days and you want to make sure you’re solidified in the show on that first qualifying run. That way you can try some things tomorrow when it’s cool out in the middle of the day and then in the evening. Really proud of the team. It was definitely a hectic run. They dropped the body for the burnout, and it was completely fogged over. I needed a defrost button in the Chevrolet SS, but those don’t exist in nitro racing. My guys have the windshield a quick wipe, and it definitely helped. It got about half of it off. Staging was a little interesting. At about 150 feet out, it cleared right up. It got a little inside down at the finish line, which is uncharacteristic of me, but it was good enough for number one qualifier. I definitely had my hands full.”

“Last year, we tested for two days prior to Thursday and never once made it past the Christmas tree and Thursday morning, you know, all the stars lined up in this Cornwall Tools pit and made a full pull on five or six cylinders. I think we ended up number three on Thursday night here. So we are two spots better this year, and definitely a lot more confidence in my driving.”
“A lot of the fans that came out last year are here again. Some of them have been saying, ‘Man, last year, you’re signing Robert Hight’s hero cards. Some of are coming up and saying, “Nice to see ya champ. We called it from the get go.’ After they saw us win the Shootout, they were like, ‘That kid’s going all the way.’ So it’s been cool to meet up with the fans again, and it’s been a long three months being away from the racetrack, being away from the fans, this is definitely my happy place. I know this place is gonna be packed.”

Top Fuel
Doug Kalitta, 3.658 sec at 332.84 mph

Top Fuel Provisional No. 1 Qualifier Doug Kalitta, photo for media use only by Krista Zivcic

“We’re hungry to try to win this race again. It was fun last year. We had Applied Innovations on our race car last year, and they’re back with us all weekend again. Crew Chief Alan (Johnson) and Mac (Savage), and all these guys working on my car they’re all hungry to do the same. We’ve been working real hard all the winter long.” 

“We finished in second last year and we battled to the end. It was all we could do. We’re hungry again, for sure, this year. This is a great opportunity with these guys and this Applied Innovations team. I’m really excited.” 

“Today was good. SCAG hosted an autograph session we had a great turnout for that. There were quite a few people here tonight. For the first night of the SCAG PRO Superstar Shootout I’m pretty happy. We appreciate everyone coming out on a Thursday and we expect big crowds the next two days.”

Posted on behalf of Turner Racing   DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2025) – Turner Racing Honda presented by Mission Foods is excited to announce a two-rider AFT Singles presented by KICKER lineup featuring Trevor Brunner and Walker Porter, along with continued support of Trent Lowe in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class for the 2025 Progressive American Flat Trackseason.  Brunner returns to the squad where he kicked off his professional career and earned his maiden Progressive AFT season following a Rookie of the Year campaign that saw him earn 11 top-tens in premier-class duty. The Indiana native returns to AFT Singles competition aboard a Honda CRF450R with championship aspirations and for good reason. He’s one of the most decorated riders in class history, boasting nine-career race wins, four top-five championship finishes, and the distinction of being one of just four racers to ever secure a Grand Slam of victories (Mile, Half-Mile, TT, and Short Track) in AFT Singles competition.  Rookie phenom Porter joins Turner Racing the same way Brunner did in 2020 – as the reigning Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award recipient. The youngster from Alabama will now look to make the same seamless transition as Brunner and similarly back up his sterling amateur career with a Rookie-of-the-Year professional debut season aboard a Turner Racing Honda CRF450R.  The team will also partner with Big Red SuperTwins to field Trent Lowe in Mission AFT SuperTwins aboard a Honda Transalp 750. Lowe graduates from the AFT Singles class following a six-year run in the category, the last two of which saw him claim two victories and eight podiums while competing for Turner Racing Honda.  The team will be managed by Kenny Coolbeth and Nick Henderson with mechanics Mack McCormick and Michael Preston along with suspension by Steve Beattie with TwentySix Suspension.  Trevor Brunner #21:  “Mike Turner reached out after the season was over and asked me to come back and partner up for the upcoming season. I had a lot of success in my first two pro seasons with the team and Mike really wanted to get the band back together. I’m excited to be back on the Hondas and my goal and the teams’ goal is the championship.”  Walker Porter #100:   “As a kid I always wanted to race for Turner Racing, and now my dream has come true. I started racing Hondas last year for the Turner Racing Amateur team, and I really liked them. My goal last year was to win the Horizon Award and then start competing against the pros at all our races to get ready for this season. I don’t get to race my first race until I turn 16 in May. Until then I’m training with my teammates and racing the pro classes at all the non-AFT races. After that, I will join the series and go after the Rookie of the Year title.”  Trent Lowe #48:   “I’m excited to move up to the Twins class with Turner Racing. It will be my and the team’s first time competing for a full season in the class. I think we have a real chance to fight for wins and podiums and earn Rookie of the Year. We have already started testing and developing the bike to build on where we left off last year. The whole team is working hard to come out of the box strong next year.”  Team Owner Mike Turner:   “It’s great to bring Kenny and Trevor back aboard while adding Nick Henderson to the mix. It’s going to be exciting to see what Walker can do after spending last year helping develop him in amateur competition. We’re also really excited to get involved with Trent, Mike, Steve, and Al Lamb on the twin. We lost my father, Mike Turner, Sr., last year and that has us focused on doing everything possible to make sure we come out swinging this year. He was the motivation for me to start this team with my brothers in the first place, and he truly loved the sport more than anyone. The team is dedicating this season to him.”  Castrol, the Official Oil of Turner Racing Honda returns along with Mission Foods as Title Sponsor. Also sponsoring the team are United Rentals, Helmet House, Vortex, Motion Pro, Phoenix Handlebars, RP Race, Guts Seats, Cortech, Shoei, Sidi, FastHouse, 100%, Team Masonry, and most importantly, Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas.

BARBERVILLE, FL (Jan. 30, 2025) — Sprint Cars have hit the racetrack once again in the United States, and Justin Peck and Rudeen Racing were the first to taste victory in the first main event of the new year Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

The newly formed driver–team pairing kicked off their new partnership in dominant fashion, winning the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) National Tour season opener — as part of the 54th edition of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals — by leading all 25 laps of the Feature to collect the $3,000 grand prize.

More commonly seen on the national 410 Sprint Car circuit, the Washington-based team brought the 360 engine out to get their operation rolling before competition begins with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series next week. Though Rudeen first had Peck driving the team car at the conclusion of 2024, Peck expressed great confidence in he and the team’s capability so early on into their partnership.

“I knew we had speed in the 410 ranks, and I think we just had enough confidence knowing that if we just stick on the program we’re doing and keep building our notebook together that we were gonna be pretty fast,” Peck said. “Thankfully, we were right, and we came here with a lot of speed right out of the box. We had to tweak on it a little bit here and there to gain that little bit extra it takes to win races like this.”

After turning the fastest Qualifying lap in his group, a fourth-to-first drive to win Heat Race 3 and a runner-up effort in the Dash, Peck took the lead from the outside pole on the opening lap of the Feature and never lost focus. The 27-year-old from Monrovia, IN, held off 20-year-old Emerson Axsom and five-time ASCS National Tour champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. for all 25 laps on the fast 1/2-mile — to which he gave much credit to the car underneath him.

“I had a good enough racecar there; I probably would’ve been okay even if the track did change,” Peck said. “Even in that condition, I could run in the dirty stuff, I could run in the slick, I could kinda run through the grip. All-in-all, my car was pretty good.”

Though he was never considerably challenged for the lead, Peck was forced to deal with pressure from Axsom on multiple restarts and in his drives through lapped traffic.

“It’s such a big, fast track, and the 360 stuff doesn’t have as much [horsepower] as a 410 would, so when you get your momentum broken, it’s so hard to get it back together,” Peck said. “Me being up front, I’m full-bore, wide open, ready to rip, and those guys that are mid-pack toward the back are all racing each other and all breaking momentum all the time. Then I get to them, and I have to break my momentum, and it just allows everybody coming behind you to be right up on you right away.”

“I felt like the only chance I had at [Peck] was in traffic,” Axsom said. “It was honestly a little bit nerve-wracking myself because the traffic guys were so off the pace, I didn’t want to put myself in a bad spot and wreck myself or wreck him. So, I was trying to be patient in traffic. I figured one of the runs would go long enough that I could get a run, and I think I was just a little bit too patient.”

Axsom started fourth on the grid and made the pass for second on the opening lap. He chased Peck closely for all 25 laps but was unable to get close enough to make a move for the top spot and settled for runner-up.

“It made it tough to get around Justin there without a little bit of traffic,” Axsom said. “And every time we did get to traffic, the yellow got brought out.”

From sixth on the starting grid, Hafertepe passed his way to third in the opening two circuits but chased Axsom and Peck until the checkered flag. However, he was positive about his result, standing as the highest-finishing driver on the full-time ASCS roster.

“I was really happy with our racecar; this is the first time we’ve been on a Triple X racecar,” Hafertepe said. “We just switched a lot of things from last year to this year. Wings, cars, and to come out the first night and to have the speed we had initially is great.

“Honestly, there were times in the Feature I thought we were gonna be able to have a chance to win the race if lapped traffic would’ve played out for us, but the cautions came, and that’s part of the game sometimes.”

Austin McCarl earned the race’s Hard Charger honor in his drive from 14th on the grid to finish fifth.

Axsom earned Quick Time honors for his best Qualifying lap of 14.165 seconds. Matt Covington won Heat 1, Hank Davis won Heat 2, Peck won Heat 3, Blake Hahn won Heat 4 and Hafertepe won Heat 5. The Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown was won by Tyler Clem.

UP NEXT

The ASCS National Tour continues action at Volusia Friday, January 31, in the second race day of the 54th DIRTcar Nationals, with another $3,000-to-win program scheduled.

Tickets for DIRTcar Nationals are on sale by clicking here and will also be available at the gate upon arrival. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view all here)

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 26-Justin Peck[2]; 2. 27A-Emerson Axsom[4]; 3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[6]; 4. 20-Brady Bacon[5]; 5. 88M-Austin McCarl[14]; 6. 21-Brian Brown[10]; 7. 2C-Cole Macedo[11]; 8. 51T-Scotty Thiel[8]; 9. 95-Matt Covington[9]; 10. 48D-Danny Dietrich[19]; 11. 52-Blake Hahn[7]; 12. 44-Chris Martin[16]; 13. 36-Jason Martin[12]; 14. 13P-Daison Pursley[18]; 15. 4P-Chase Moran[17]; 16. 6G-Bryan Gossel[13]; 17. 63-Josh Weller[20]; 18. UK97-Ryan Harrison[23]; 19. 4-Cameron Martin[15]; 20. 6S-Tyler Clem[21]; 21. 0-Glenn Styres[22]; 22. 16H-Hank Davis[1]; 23. 7-Jordan Thomas[3]; 24. 2-Whit Gastineau[24]

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 30, 2025) – After five years of being neglected a second Gator trophy, Curt Spalding was not going to be denied another on Thursday night.

The Watervliet, MI driver commanded all 20 laps of the opening DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Feature while fending off former marquee winners at the Barberville, FL racetrack.

Spalding and Shirleysburg, PA driver George Dixon brought the field of 24 UMP Modifieds to the green flag, with the two competitors immediately going to battle for the lead in the opening stages.

Dixon used the bottom lane in Turn 1 to attempt a slide job around Spalding, but could not hold traction and slipped up the track – creating a one-second gap for Spalding to take full advantage.

A caution at the halfway point of the Feature erased Spalding’s gap and created new opportunities for the top UMP Modified drivers to contend for the Feature win, including Kyle Strickler, David Stremme, and Michael Altobelli.

On the restart, Strickler took over second place from Dixon, then used the high line of the track to slice down to the bottom of the turns to trim the lead interval of Spalding’s No.5CS Lethal Chassis.

Spalding continued to roll through the bottom of the track while Dixon and Strickler’s door-banging fight for second place solidified Spalding’s second-career Gator trophy – his first since 2020.

“For sure, I could hear them,” Spalding said. “But, I never saw them. I don’t know if they got that close enough, but we did everything we could. We were on a little different deal here. I gotta thank my son, Tyler, I didn’t even know what he was doing on shocks and I said ‘Uh, where are we at on this?’ And he said ‘Don’t worry about it, you’re gonna like them.’ Sure enough, his little shock business is helping propel us up here.”

Strickler finished second after Dixon spun through Turns 3 and 4 from a slide into the cushion. While the Mooresville, NC driver is now the current UMP Modified Speedweeks points leader, he does not like coming short of a Gator trophy.

“First off, congrats to Curt,” Strickler said. “He supported this deal for a long time, and he was smarter than us. He went with a softer tire and every time I got alongside, the caution would come out. It is what it is, I hate to be negative, but second sucks. I felt like we really had a good racecar and can’t thank everybody enough that puts this deal together.”

Stremme, of Mifflintown, PA, came home with the podium finish as a beneficiary to Dixon’s spin on the final lap. The Lethal Chassis owner showed an effort that saw him race inside the top five throughout the 20-lap Feature.

“I just thought it was hard racing,” Stremme said. “I was watching them, it’s so hard to pass because they are so dirty and we had to work on our car a little bit. I was a little too free, but pretty happy with everything. I’m just proud of all the efforts, a lot of our (Elite Chassis) customers are running well, but it’s a long week. We got a lot of work to do still.”

Owensboro, KY’s own Cole Falloway finished in fourth. Altobelli, of Saxton, PA, rounded out the opening night’s top-five finishers.

Up Next: The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds return to Volusia Speedway Park for the second night of racing with the American Sprint Car Series at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Friday, January 31. Tickets are available here:

DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS

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

Feature (20 Laps): 1. 5CS-Curt Spalding[1]; 2. 8S-Kyle Strickler[4]; 3. 35-David Stremme[6]; 4. 66-Cole Falloway[12]; 5. 35A-Michael Altobelli[3]; 6. 97-Mitch Thomas[5]; 7. 45H-Kyle Hammer[11]; 8. 777-Trevor Neville[17]; 9. 77-Ray Bollinger[13]; 10. 05-David Wietholder[16]; 11. 51-Dalton Lanich[7]; 12. 24-Zeke McKenzie[20]; 13. 19-Dustin Sorensen[23]; 14. 114-Jordan Koehler[18]; 15. 25-Greg Belyea[22]; 16. 17C-Coleman Evans[8]; 17. 27-Michael Turner[14]; 18. 77D-George Dixon[2]; 19. 27G-Jason Garver[19]; 20. 316-Stephen Pedulla[10]; 21. 36-Kenny Wallace[24]; 22. 18-Miles Beaulieu[21]; 23. (DNF) 12L-Lucas Lee[9]; 24. (DNF) 5-Jonathan Taylor[15]

LAKE CITY, FL (January 30, 2025) – Ricky Thornton Jr., the defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, seized the opportunity created by race leader Devin Moran’s flat tire on the final lap to triumph in the 40-lap Wieland Winternationals opener on Thursday night at All-Tech Raceway. Moran, who led a race-high 34 laps, had a tire going down in the final two laps, which allowed Thornton to pass him on lap 39 as he went on to secure his first win of the season. Max Blair edged past Daulton Wilson on the final lap, as they rounded out the Big River Steel podium, taking second and third place at the finish. Moran limped across the line in fourth, with Tyler Erb completing the top five drivers. Moran jumped to the lead at the start of the race and maintained it for the first 12 laps until Shane Clanton passed him on lap 13. Clanton would then lead Moran for four more laps until Moran surged back ahead for the lead on lap 18. Clanton remained solid in second until a flat tire on lap 29 ended his chances for the win. A lap 30 restart saw Thornton charge from fourth to second as he pressured Moran for the race lead. However, Thornton slipped back when he got too high in turn two on lap 33 and hit the wall. He recovered, and Moran’s flat tire opened the door for Thornton, who entered the All-Tech race as the only driver to have won more than once in the last seven Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing appearances at the track, allowing him to go to the winner’s circle for the third time there. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 43rd time in his career, and for the third time at All-Tech, Thornton claimed victory for the first time in 2025. “I I had a good run on that last restart. I got under Daulton for second as we entered turn three; we bumped a little, but nothing too serious. Then I got to Devin, as I mentioned, and I knew his crew guy would move him up. I actually didn’t even see him [Moran] well enough to notice that he had a right-rear flat. We got to the top of turn three, and he was three-wheeling it. As we approached the white flag, I thought it really stinks for him, but I guess someone’s misfortune was good for us and we’ll take it it.” Blair, who started 10th, surged to the front in the final circuits, claiming the runner-up spot. “I want to be up there where he [Thornton] is. We have been good since the end of last year. The track fit our driving style tonight. We’ll come back tomorrow and try to finish one spot better.” Wilson, who led the most laps at Golden Isles two weeks ago, stayed in the top four for most of the race and came home in third. “We were good at Golden Isles and not so good last weekend. I thought I had a real shot at winning tonight.” The winner’s Bobby and Jessica Koehler-owned Koehler Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Ultimate Towing and Recovery, Hoker Trucking, Coltman Farms Racing, Elite Ready Mix, Capital Waste, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Certified Inspection Services Company, Inc., and EMD Wraps. Jonathan Davenport, Donald McIntosh, Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, and Hudson O’Neal completed the top ten. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 1Thursday, January 30, 2025All-Tech Raceway – Lake City, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Devin Moran | 18.924 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Donald McIntosh | 18.999 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 4. 31-Tyler Millwood[4]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 6. 49-Jonathan Davenport[6]; 7. 22*-Drake Troutman[12]; 8. 17SS-Brenden Smith[8]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[10]; 10. 28B-Carson Brown[9]; 11. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[11]; 12. 43-Derrick Stewart[7] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Shane Clanton[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 3. 74X-Ethan Dotson[4]; 4. 19M-Spencer Hughes[5]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 6. 24D-Michael Brown[3]; 7. 10-Joseph Joiner[6]; 8. 81M-Dale McDowell[8]; 9. 23-Beckham Malone[10]; 10. 09-Michael Leach[9]; 11. 109-Nicholas Johnson[11]Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 79-Donald McIntosh[1]; 2. 9-Tim McCreadie[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[2]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs[3]; 6. 1-Brandon Sheppard[9]; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin[8]; 8. 5-Mark Whitener[11]; 9. 6-Clay Harris[6]; 10. 60-Dan Ebert[10]; 11. 157-Mike Marlar[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 16-Tyler Bruening[1]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 59-Trey Mills[3]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 6. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 7. 3S-Brian Shirley[8]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[10]; 9. 388-Jackson Hise[7]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 11. 93L-Cory Lawler[11] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 2. 22*-Drake Troutman[5]; 3. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 4. 10-Joseph Joiner[6]; 5. 81M-Dale McDowell[8]; 6. 23-Beckham Malone[10]; 7. 17SS-Brenden Smith[7]; 8. 24D-Michael Brown[4]; 9. 28B-Carson Brown[11]; 10. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 11. 7-Ross Robinson[9]; 12. 109-Nicholas Johnson[14]; 13. 43-Derrick Stewart[15]; 14. 17Z-Seth Zacharias[13]; 15. 09-Michael Leach[12]UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 4. 99B-Boom Briggs[1]; 5. 5-Mark Whitener[7]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 7. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 9. 388-Jackson Hise[10]; 10. 6-Clay Harris[9]; 11. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[12]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[13]; 13. 60-Dan Ebert[11]; 14. 93L-Cory Lawler[14] Wieland Winter Nationals | Night 1 Feature Finish (40 Laps): Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 8 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $10,0002 – 10 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $5,5003 – 5 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $3,5004 – 1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,7005 – 7 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $2,5006 – 17 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $2,3007 – 2 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – $2,2008 – 18 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – $2,1009 – 6 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – $2,05010 – 14 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $2,00011 – 22 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – $1,60012 – 4 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $1,40013 – 20 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $1,20014 – 9 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,00015 – 13 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – $95016 – 12 – 59 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – $92517 – 15 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – $90018 – 21 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $87519 – 16 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $85020 – 24 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $82521 – 3 – 11 – Shane Clanton – Zebulon, GA – $80022 – 11 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – $80023 – 19 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $80024 – 23 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $80025 – 25 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $100 Race Statistics  Entrants: 45Victory Fuel Pole Sitter: Devin MoranLap Leaders: Devin Moran (Laps 1-12); Shane Clanton (Laps 13-17); Devin Moran (Laps 18-39); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Lap 40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 0.963 secondsColtman Farms Racing Cautions: Shane Clanton (Lap 29)Series Provisionals: Ross Robinson; Clay HarrisFast Time Provisional: n/a Emergency Provisional: Kyle BronsonTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Daulton WilsonPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Max Blair, Daulton Wilson, Devin Moran, Tyler ErbPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDMI Rearends 5th Place Feature: Tyler ErbWilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Donald McIntoshWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Ryan GustinDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardMD3 24th Place Feature: Ross RobinsonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Advanced 11 Positions) MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (34 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tyler BrueningPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Devin Moran (Lap 1 | 17.9351 seconds)Slicker Graphics Slickest Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Hard Luck Award: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Nathan SlettoARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps:  Jonathan Davenport (18.564 seconds)Time of Race: 17 minutes 09 seconds Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 430 – $13,4002 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 430 – $5,5003 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – 430 – $8,3004 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 420 – $7,6005 – 18D – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – 400 – $5,5006 – 20 – Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 390 – $4,4007 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – 380 – $4,1008 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 375 – $11,1009 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 360 – $3,40010 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 355 – $4,35011 – 79 – Donald McIntosh – Dawsonville, GA – 330 – $2,30012 – 9 – Tim McCreadie – Watertown, NY – 325 – $3,05013 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 325 – $2,92514 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 315 – $2,60015 – 19R – Ryan Gustin – Marshalltown, IA – 310 – $2,60016 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 310 – $2,00017 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 305 – $3,00018 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – 290 – $2,00019 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 285 – $1,20020 – 74X – Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 280 – $1,85021 – 19M – Spencer Hughes – Meridian, MS – 265 – $1,00022 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 260 – $1,80023 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 260 – $1,50024 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 255 – $92525 – 59 – Trey Mills – St. Augustine, FL – 255 – $1,02526 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 240 – $1,10027 – 17SS – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 230 – $20028 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 225 – $20029 – 23 – Beckham Malone – Rock Hill, SC – 215 – $20030 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 215 – $20031 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 205 – $1,10032 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 205 – $20033 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 185 – $20034 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 185 – $20035 – 17Z – Seth Zacharias – Vestal, NY – 175 – $20036 – 99B – Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 170 – $100

INDIANAPOLIS (January 30, 2025) — Race fans who can’t make it to Bradenton Motorsports Park for the 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout, February 6-8, will be able to catch every minute of on-track action as well as comprehensive coverage from the pits, starting line and the top end on FloRacing. 

The talent line up for the broadcast was announced at the end of 2024 with two of the most knowledgeable and personable motorsport personalities, Jamie Howe and Mike Dunn, lined up to call all the action from the FloRacing broadcasting center. In the pits and at the top end FloRacing’s Courtney Enders will be joined by nitro Funny Car veteran Tommy Johnson Jr. The quartet of drag racing experts have over a century of combined motorsports announcing and driving experience and will deliver top-tier coverage to FloRacing viewers.



“We were so excited to be a part of history last year with this event and are planning on taking things to an even higher level this year. From production to on air-talent we feel confident the audience will feel the same way,” said FloRacing General Manager Michael Rigsby. “The stars of drag racing showed that at any time and any place, they could put on a great show, and they did just that. Having them showcase their talents on FloRacing is super impactful for us and we look forward to doing it again!”

FloRacing will livestream all qualifying and elimination rounds with pit coverage and top end coverage following all the developments from the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock competitors. FloRacing will have unfettered access to drivers, crew chiefs and owners as teams battle to make the show. They will also be positioned at the top end throughout qualifying and eliminations to capture the emotions and reactions from all the teams.

The event will feature autograph sessions, driver Q&A’s and additional fan-friendly entertainment elements. Tickets can be purchased here.

FloRacing fans are encouraged to watch the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout on the updated FloSports Connected TV app, which features enhanced discoverability and streaming capabilities, providing the ultimate viewing experience on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV devices. The service will also be available on the web and for download on mobile devices (iOS and Android) via the FloSports app.  Archived footage will also be available from the event in FloRacing’s video library that is available to all subscribers for the duration of their subscription.

To watch all this race and gain access to more than 1,000 races annually, subscribe to FloRacing by visiting https://www.floracing.com/.

ABOUT THE PRO SUPERSTAR SHOOTOUT

On February 6-8, 2025, the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) in collaboration with Bradenton Motorsports Park, will host the 2nd annual SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout. The 2024 inaugural event took the motorsports world by storm with incredible side-by-side racing, a unique chip draw elimination format, record-setting speeds and a fan-friendly atmosphere.

ABOUT PRO

The Professional Racers and Owners Organization (PRO) acts as the liaison for NHRA Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock teams with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and other motorsports entities. Composed of professional drivers and team owners representing a broad spectrum of competitors, PRO acts as the unified voice to protect the interest of their members with regards to safety, rules, competition, sponsorship and specialty events.


ABOUT FLOSPORTS

Founded in 2006, FloSports is a global independent sports media company delivering live events, award winning original content, always-on social experiences, and comprehensive sports data solutions to passionate and underserved sports communities interested in more than 25 different sports. Its portfolio includes the top destinations for avid fans seeking comprehensive live and on-demand access for the sports they love: motorsports (FloRacing), hockey (FloHockey), wrestling (FloWrestling), Jiu-Jitsu (FloGrappling), Track & Field (FloTrack and MileSplit), cheer (FloCheer and Varsity), a variety of NCAA sports (FloCollege), and more. 

Strategic partnerships with NASCAR, USA Wrestling, AHL, Wanda Diamond League, ECHL, Tour de France, 12 NCAA Conferences, and others, fuel more than 40,000 live events streamed annually across the globe and accessed via monthly or annual subscriptions. For more information, please visit: flosports.tv.

CONCORD, NC (January 30, 2025) – Entering his second season with the World of Outlaws Late Models, Cody Overton’s primary objective was simply to continue building.

After a 2024 season that included eight top 10s and a third-place finish in the MD3 Rookie of the Year standings, he knew there was still plenty of room for improvement on his way to becoming a serious title contender.

So, when Overton was informed after Saturday’s DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals finale that he was leading the points standings, he couldn’t help but think there must have been a mistake.

But there wasn’t. Thanks to his first-career podium on Friday night and a 11th-place run on Saturday, “Lil’ Sexy” sits as the man to beat by four points over reigning champion Brandon Sheppard and Rookie of the Year contender Ethan Dotson.

“I don’t know, it’s just awesome,” Overton said. “I thought this year was going to be a really good year. Just got to keep up with it and keep going and try not to think about it much.”

Overton began his 2025 campaign with a performance more reminiscent of a seasoned veteran than someone still learning the ropes of full-time Super Late Model racing. On a night when track conditions remained unpredictable from start to finish and few cars made it back to the hauler unscathed, Overton kept his nose clean and drove from 23rd to third in the 35-lap affair.

There appeared to be plenty more where that came from early in Saturday’s program, as Overton qualified second and won his Heat Race, but then faded to 11th in the Feature. It was a valuable learning opportunity for the Thomson, GA driver heading into his return to Volusia Speedway Park for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 13-15).

“Just missed it a little bit,” Overton said of his approach entering the Saturday Feature. “Just kind of over-tightened up early. Which I thought I was going to be better late, but I thought it would blow off a lot faster than that, so I don’t know. It’s just our new car, just got to go through the cycles and learn it.”

If Overton’s year-over-year improvement mimics his Volusia gains – his third-place result on Friday was his first Super Late Model top 10 at the track – he could find himself much higher up the points table come World of Outlaws World Finals in November compared to last year. Fortunately for him, there are plenty of opportunities for growth. Out of 32 tracks on this year’s schedule, Overton has a notebook on 24 of them, whereas last season he was flying blind more often than not.

Armed with a list of dos and don’ts at each track and a full year of experience at the national level, Overton sees no reason why he can’t make drastic improvements in every statistical category in 2025 and scratch “win a World of Outlaws race” off his to-do list.

“I feel a lot better, definitely,” Overton said regarding his optimism towards this year compared to the start of his rookie season. “I feel way more confident. It’s going to have its ups and it’s going to have its downs, I know that. Just got to see how the year goes.”

The 2025 World of Outlaws Late Models season resumes at Volusia Speedway Park at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 13-15. To get tickets, click here.

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

Winston-Salem, North Carolina February 1-2, 2025

RETURNING TO THE ROOTSNASCAR will turn the page on the next chapter of its annual preseason exhibition event with the sport’s premier series making its return to the historic short-track of Bowman Gray Stadium. The North Carolina quarter-mile venue has a deep-rooted history in motorsports, including holding a staple spot on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule from 1958-1971. Nearly 55 years later, the division will make its much anticipated return to track famously known as “The Madhouse” to kick off the 2025 season. Among the 39-driver entry list includes 16 drivers representing seven different Chevrolet organizations:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletAustin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletKyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletJustin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletKyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletChase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletTy Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletAJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWilliam Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletRicky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports ChevroletAlex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBurt Myers, No. 50 Team AmeriVet ChevroletMichael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletCarson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletShane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletDaniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Chevrolet at the ClashThe Bowtie brand is the winningest manufacturer in the Clash’s 46-race history with 22 victories – a record more than double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with 10. Among those wins includes six straight recorded between 2005 and 2010 – a statistic that has earned Chevrolet the longest streak of Clash wins collected by a single manufacturer. Only six times in the event’s history has the Clash winner gone on to win the Daytona 500, with career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon representing the Bowtie brand on that elite list (1997).

Clash Stats in the Next Gen EraThe start of NASCAR’s Next Gen era also marked a pivotal moment in Clash history, with the location moving from its longstanding tenure at the “World Center of Racing” to the center of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The three-year stint at the famed Southern California venue saw just three drivers earn a trio of top-10 finishes, led by Team Chevy’s Kyle Busch, who placed on the podium in all three events. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and William Byron shared similar success on the quarter-mile circuit, with Larson collecting three top-fives and Byron scoring three top-10s.

NEXT GEN: YEAR FOURChevrolet is coming off yet another season atop the wins leaderboard in the NASCAR Cup Series, with eight drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations earning a combined 15 victories. The feat keeps the Bowtie brand as the winningest manufacturer in the Next Gen era, also leading its competitors with 18 wins in 2023 and 19 wins in 2022. Last season also marked the second consecutive season – and sixth time in history – that Chevrolet swept all three Manufacturer Championships in the NASCAR national ranks, with drivers from each full-time Chevrolet organization contributing points towards its third consecutive title in NASCAR’s premier series.

NEW TO THE LINEUP

Spire Motorsports will see two new full-time drivers added to its 2025 NASCAR Cup Series lineup. Jumping into the seat of the No. 7 Chevrolet in the closing races of the 2024 season, Justin Haley will return to the entry to compete in his fourth campaign in the series. The 25-year-old Indiana native already has success with Spire Motorsports, with the young driver earning the organization’s first win in NASCAR’s top division at Daytona International Speedway in July 2019. Haley’s No. 7 Chevrolet team will be led by veteran crew chief Rodney Childers. The series’ winningest active crew chief has 40 NASCAR Cup Series wins on his resume, as well as a championship title that he earned under the Chevrolet banner with Kevin Harvick in 2014.

Also joining the Bowtie brigade this season includes the driver and crew chief pairing of Michael McDowell and Travis Peterson. McDowell brings 17 years of experience and over 500 starts in NASCAR’s premier series to the Chevrolet organization. The 40-year-old Arizona native is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner, with his first coming in the 2021 Daytona 500. McDowell isn’t a stranger to getting behind the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered machine, with the driver spending two seasons in the driver’s seat for Leavine Family Racing (2016-2017). This year will mark the third season together for the driver-crew chief pairing, with Peterson leading McDowell to his most recent win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (2023), as well as a series-leading six pole winning efforts last season.

Kaulig Racing will also see two familiar faces in its 2025 NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup. AJ Allmendinger will make the transition back up to the sport’s top division to pilot the No. 16 Chevrolet entry for the organization. The 43-year-old California native joined Kaulig Racing in 2019, competing part-time for two seasons before enduring his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021. In that same season, Allmendinger also took Kaulig Racing on its first trip to victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. The Chevrolet driver is coming off a strong ending to the 2024 season with an appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four.

Also making the jump back up to the NASCAR Cup Series is Ty Dillon, who will contest his seventh full-time season in the division behind the wheel of the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. The 32-year-old North Carolina native is a four-time winner in the NASCAR national ranks, with each victory earned behind the wheel of a Chevrolet (three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins and one NASCAR Xfinity Series win).

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Clash win: Kyle Busch – two wins (2021, 2012)  ·       In 46 NASCAR Cup Series Clash races, Chevrolet has earned a series-leading 22 victories – a record more than double the next leading manufacturer, Ford, with 10.  ·       Chevrolet holds the series’ record for the most consecutive Clash wins by a single manufacturer with six straight – recorded from 2005 to 2010.  ·       In the Next Gen era, only three drivers have earned three straight top-10 results in the Clash – all of which come from the Chevrolet camp (Kyle Busch – three top-three finishes; Kyle Larson – three top-five finishes; and William Byron – three top-10 finishes).  ·       In 108 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 52 victories – a winning percentage of 48.1%.  ·       With its 43 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championships, and 866 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TUNE-IN:Cook Out Clash at Bowman GrayBowman Gray Stadium Saturday, February 1 Practice and Qualifying at 6:10 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) Heat Races at 8:30 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) Sunday, February 2Last Chance Race at 6 p.m. ET(FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) Cook Out Clash Main Event at 8 p.m. ET(FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on the the Clash at Bowman Gray?“I’ve been in the stands before as a fan but haven’t race there before. It should be wild. It’s sold-out, it’s a unique place, has a lot of history in this sport and it’s cool we’re getting the opportunity to race there. It’s a such a small track with a bunch of us trying to make the main event, so I’m sure there will be a lot of excitement on the track.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletLarson on what to expect at Bowman Gray Stadium: “I’m sure it’ll be tough to pass this weekend. I hope we can give the fans the kind of exciting racing they’re used to seeing on a Saturday night in the summer. I’m sure the energy will be high in the stands – and be crazy on the track, too.” Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet“I’ve been counting down the days to get back behind the wheel, and I’m excited to head to Bowman Gray in the No. 7 FOE Chevrolet. Rejoining Spire Motorsports last September was a huge step for me, and we’ve been building something strong since then. We finished 2024 with a lot of momentum, and I’m ready to keep that going. Bowman Gray is such a unique and exciting track, and having the Cup cars there for the first time is going to be something special. I’m ready to get to work and put on a show for the fans.” Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletElliott on heading to Bowman Gray Stadium for the Clash: “I think that it’s probably going to be very similar to what the Clash was from a viewing standpoint or a fan standpoint. It logistically makes way more sense. I think having it out there in Los Angeles was a great thought. I commend them for the effort in doing it. But I think the shine wore off of it after the first year. I think that the (Bowman Gray) Stadium is a place that has some historical value from a NASCAR presence perspective. And they have weekly shows, and they have these modified races up there and other classes too. And I just think that people are going to be really excited for it. I think that that’s going to last more than a year, in my opinion. I could be totally wrong, and (I’m) not knocking the folks that came out to the Clash (in LA) every year either, because there were still a good number, but certainly not quite like it was that first year. So, hopefully it just carries the energy a little further before they have to switch it up again.” Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“I’m so excited to be able to race in my hometown. I grew up in Winston-Salem, so as a kid and teenager, I spent a lot of races sitting in the grandstands at Bowman Gray Stadium, watching some of the local heroes like Burt Myers and Tim Brown, Junior Miller, all those guys, who a few of them are going to be competing against us. It’s so cool to race a stock car, not only, but a NASCAR Cup car around small Bowman Gray Stadium. It’s going to be an exciting event. It’s our first race with Sea Best, so looking forward to putting on a show, having fun for the Clash and holding nothing back at the Madhouse.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet“Bowman Gray is a big part of NASCAR history so I’m looking forward to going out there and getting back in the flow of driving the No. 16 Chevy. With The Clash as an exhibition event, we’re going out there to hopefully win, but more importantly, I’m focusing on the opportunity to work with Trent [Owens] and the No. 16 team before we head to Daytona.” William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletByron on the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium: “The track is even smaller than the Coliseum, so I’ll be interested to see if that expands at all for us, if they move some things around. But I think that it’s just a really tight quarters race track and it’s going to create some bumping and banging naturally because that’s the only way to pass.  I feel like the fan base is a lot more traditional, so there’ll be a lot of passionate race fans. So, I’m sure if you move someone out of the way or if you get wrecked, you’ll hear about it. So it’ll be fun to see how the fan interaction is for sure.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Bowman Gray should be fun. Those fans will definitely tell you who their favorite drivers are and the ones that aren’t their favorite drivers. The atmosphere is definitely going to be intense. When it comes to a track that I’ve never been to, the only thing that we can really do to prepare is going to Sim. Then, we just watch film of past races there to see what line people use, how to pass, and other small details. No one really knows what to expect until we get the cars out on track during practice on Saturday.” Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletBowman on Bowman Gray Stadium: “Obviously, it’s a really small place about like the Coliseum, probably similar size, maybe a little bit narrower – excited how close that is. I’ve raced there, but I’ve also sat in the stands there and the atmosphere there is unlike anywhere else we go. I’ve never seen the pace car driver get flipped off anywhere except for there. So, pretty excited to go there and get to run a Cup car. It’s going to be a lot of fun.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletTalk about the Clash and what makes it important:   “Headed to Bowman Gray is going to be special. This track has so much history and shows how far we have come in 75+ years. That said, I am excited to be back on track with a new team and a new chapter in my career. The Clash has always been a great way to work our way back into things, and we have done a consistent job making the main event the last three years at the Coliseum. I am excited to start the 2025 season with a new team, manufacturer, and partner.”  What are you looking forward to this season? “There has been a lot of change this offseason, and Spire has been super helpful in integrating me into their system. There has been a lot to learn, and I am enjoying the process of everything; it is going to be a slow build while our team gets the hang of things, but I am excited to see where we can be as the season goes on. We have been very upfront about our goals, we want to win races and make the playoffs, and I think this has been my best opportunity to make that happen.” Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet“I’ve been ready to go back racing since November, so I’m pretty pumped to get to Bowman Gray and be back behind the wheel of the Delaware Life Chevrolet. We ended 2024 on a high note with the Rookie of the Year title and we’re in a good position to build on that right from the start. Bowman Gray always puts on an exciting race, and I really think that will be true with the Cup cars on track at the Madhouse for the first time.” Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletBowman Gray Stadium is a new track for the NASCAR Cup Series this year. What’s something that stands out to you about this track as you head into your first Clash Weekend?“I don’t know much about the track, but I’ve been watching some videos on YouTube and it looks like the racing is pretty intense, but that’s all short track racing in this cup car. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Bowman Gray excitement is all about and finally getting on track with my No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. It would be epic to advance to the main event with this new team, so hoping we can accomplish that!” Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on your 2025 Clash?“This going to be pretty wild. It’s been a long time since I raced at Bowman Gray. If you haven’t seen a race there you don’t know what you are missing. There is as much action in the stands as there is on the track with the fans really getting into it. I think the fans fight as much as the drivers. I think this is going to be a fun way to start the season. I hope we can put the Freeway Chevrolet at the front of the field. Winning there would be really special.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2024): 43First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2024 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2024): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 866 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 753Laps led to date: 252,711Top-fives to date: 4,369Top-10s to date: 9,007                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,200           Chevrolet: 866           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 840                                                                      Ford: 740           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 189

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 29, 2025) – The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds celebrate 20 years of competition at Volusia Speedway Park with more races than ever before at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in 2025. 

The two weeks of action open with three nights for the Modifieds alongside the American Sprint Car Series on Jan. 30-Feb. 1. Those Features count towards the overall UMP Modified Speedweeks points but do not count towards the event’s Big Gator Championship points. 

Modified competitors will follow the “Every Lap Matters” format, with this Thursday’s and Friday’s Feature races paying $1,200-to-win and $120-to-start. Saturday’s Heat races will line up based on points accumulated from the previous night’s shows to cement the 24-car field gunning for a $2,500 payday. 

Then, the hunt for the Big Gator begins on Monday, Feb. 3, and runs through Saturday, Feb. 8. Split Feature races of six make up Monday-Friday, paying $1,000-to-win and $125-to-start. 

In line with the 2024 event’s format, Friday’s Gator Qualifiers return with Features lining up staggered according to overall weekly points with a four-car inversion. The top three in each race will clinch a spot in Saturday’s Gator Championship Feature. 

Championship Saturday has the UMP Modifieds set for Last Chance Showdowns, and the top 12 drivers in the Feature will redraw for their starting position. The Gator Championship will be 30 laps, paying $5,000-to-win and rewarding the prestigious Big Gator title to the points champion. 

Joining the UMP Modifieds for the second week of DIRTcar Nationals action will be the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars from Feb. 5-8. 

DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS 

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION 

Here are the top storylines to look out for: 

High On Sunshine: Kyle Strickler began his Modified Speedweeks with a bang by winning the first night at Ocala Speedway driving a No.33S machine for Brandon, FL-based Jeff Mathews Motorsports, then followed it up with a third-place result on Friday night. 

The last night at Ocala is one that the Mooresville, NC driver wants to forget, with a broken left axle forcing his retirement from the Feature. However, the “High Side Tickler” sits third in Speedweeks standings — 29 markers back from current points leader Devin Dixon. 

Strickler enters DIRTcar Nationals with a stacked resume at Volusia — winning 14 Golden Gators, a Big Gator title in 2023, two World of Outlaws Late Model Features, and the Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial in November. 

READ MORE: Kyle Strickler Motivated to Win UMP Modified Speedweeks, Big Gator Championships in 2025  

Nicely’s Gator Catch: Tyler Nicely reached the peak of Volusia Speedway Park accolades with his first Big Gator title in 2024 after 10 years of coming up shy of the career-defining mark.

The Owensboro, KY driver has had his fair share of visits to Volusia Victory Lane, winning 11 Golden Gators and a 2019 Reutimann Memorial win. 

Nicely has one missing DIRTcar Nationals trophy piece he’s racing to add in 2025: a win in the UMP Modified Gator Championship Feature. 

Star-Power Galore: Volusia Speedway Park’s marquee event brings the best drivers to the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” with varying driver expertise from pavement to dirt. 

Reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier from Riverton, IL, is chasing his fourth Golden Gator trophy in 2025. In celebrating the 2021 Gator Championship winner’s groundbreaking achievement, there will be a celebration for him with an autograph session and a special opening ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 4. 

Kenny Wallace won his first career NASCAR national tour event at Volusia in 1991 driving a No. 36 Busch Series Pontiac. Fast forward 34 years and the St. Louis, MO native will once again return in a Nick Hoffman-prepared Elite Chassis, one that saw “The Hermanator” win his fifth Golden Gator — the first since 2012 — last season. 

Ken Schrader visited Victory Lane at Volusia for the first time in 11 years when he claimed his Golden Gator trophy in 2024. The Fenton, MO driver is back once again in his No. 9 Federated Auto Parts Modified to go after his second-career Big Gator championship. 

Representing the current and former NASCAR talent that competes annually in the division includes 2019 Reutimann Memorialwinner David Stremme, three-time Truck Series champ Matt Crafton, and former Truck Series racer Austin Wayne Self, among others. 

McKinney’s Moment: Mike McKinney reached the pinnacle of UMP Modified racing in 2024 with his first career Summit Modified Nationals championship. 

The Hell Tour campaign saw the Plainfield, IL native win seven Features and earn 12 top-fives, and 16 top-10s for his first Modified championship. 

Volusia Speedway Park acts as McKinney’s Achilles heel, as the pilot of the No. 96M Longhorn Chassis has yet to score a Golden Gator trophy, or the Big Gator title. His best finish to date is two second-place results in 2021 and 2024. 

The current top-10 in DIRTcar UMP Modifieds Speedweeks points consist of: 

1. Devin Dixon – 205 points
2. Brad Deyoung – 180 points
3. Kyle Strickler – 176 points
4. Jason Garver – 161 points
5. Todd Neiheiser – 146 points
6. Cole Czarneski – 145 points
7. Cole Falloway – 136 points
8. Glenn Styres – 128 points
9. Pete Brunton – 123 points
10. Kyle Wiggins – 120 points

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

CONCORD, NC (Jan. 29, 2025) – ALT Sports Data Inc., the San Diego-based leader in trading and consumer data for action, motor, alternative, and emerging sports, and World Racing Group announced a landmark partnership today. This collaboration will enable regulated sports betting on premier dirt track racing properties, including the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, the American Sprint Car Series, and the Super DIRTcar Series.

Through this partnership, ALT Sports Data will leverage official data feeds to deliver pre-race and live betting products to sportsbooks worldwide. ALT Sports Data will utilize the World of Outlaws official data to offer up-to-the-minute odds and an array of traditional wagers and prop bets, designed to enhance fan engagement and expand the global reach of dirt track racing.

“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our mission to redefine fan engagement in some of the world’s most iconic and exciting sports,” said Todd Ballard, Co-Founder and CMO of ALT Sports Data. “World Racing Group’s dirt track properties are iconic within the motorsports community, and we are excited to bring innovative betting markets to their passionate fan base. By integrating sports betting, we aim to create deeper connections, attract new audiences, and drive the continued growth of these series.”

World Racing Group (WRG) is the preeminent sanctioning body in dirt track racing, overseeing some of the most iconic events in the sport. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series represent the pinnacle of grassroots racing, showcasing elite drivers and thrilling action at tracks across North America. The Super DIRTcar Series further solidifies WRG’s commitment to dirt track excellence, bringing together the top drivers in Big Block Modified racing. Together, these properties attract millions of fans annually, creating an electrifying motorsports experience.

“Our goal is to continue to move the needle by providing our fans more ways to be part of our events,” World Racing Group Chief Media & Marketing Officer Charlie Mellilo said. “Working with ALT Sports Data, we are providing fans another way to be involved. The excitement at the track is incredible, and this provides a way for fans at the track and at home to be even more engaged. It is all about expanding our relationship with the race fan, and the team at ALT Sports Data have proven they can help us do exactly that.”

This partnership underscores the growing intersection between motorsports and sports betting, as dirt track racing continues to captivate new audiences. By integrating betting into the fan experience, ALT Sports Data and World Racing Group aim to elevate the profile of these series and foster deeper connections between fans and the sport.

Betting will be available in jurisdictions where approved starting with the first night of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car action at Volusia Speedway Park’s Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Visit NXTBets.com/playdirtcar to see offers and availability in your area.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 29, 2025) – Tickets for the Lima Half-Mile I & II, Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, are now available for purchase.  Always coveted as among the most challenging and prestigious victories that can be earned in any given season, this year’s doubleheader edition of the fabled race to be held on Friday, June 27, and Saturday, June 28, at the Allen County Fairgrounds, in Lima, Ohio, carries extra significance.  Friday’s Lima Half-Mile I will mark the highly anticipated debut of the innovative Mission Triple Challenge format, in which the event’s overall winner will be determined by three successive races of increasing distance, importance, stakes, and excitement.  Saturday’s Lima Half-Mile II will feature the classic format, while both days will see the pea-gravel cushion test the upper limits of the world’s elite motorcycle dirt trackers physical and strategic capabilities.  Ten-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees will oversee the activities in the role of co-promoter alongside his wife and fellow racer, Nichole, as the current crop of Mission AFT SuperTwins contenders battle to assume his vacated throne. Last year’s dominant victor, Dallas Daniels, three-time Lima winner, Briar Bauman, and two-time Lima winner Brandon Robinson, rank as but three of a large contingent of potential winners who will enter the weekend determined to make history.  Fans can save $10 by purchasing their tickets in advance with prices slated to return to their standard rate on Wednesday, June 25. If you act now, General Admission tickets are $35 each night with Reserved tickets $40 and Premier Reserved $45. Meanwhile, fans who purchase the two-day ticket save an additional $5 (two-day General Admission: $65/two-day Reserved: $75/two-day Premier Reserved: $85).  Camping is also available at the Allen County Fairgrounds on a first-come, first-served basis. Tent Camping is free while RV/Trailer Camping, including water and electric hook-ups, is $50 per night (cash only).  To purchase Lima Half-Mile I tickets, click HERE.    To purchase Lima Half-Mile II tickets, click HERE.   And to save $5 by purchasing Friday and Saturday tickets together for the Lima Half-Mile I & II, click HERE.  Gates will open for fans at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT) on both days. For more information, ticket purchases, and updates, visit LimaHalf-Mile.com or call 419-991-1491   For more information on Progressive AFT visit AmericanFlatTrack.com.

BARBERVILLE, FL (January 29, 2025) – Kyle Strickler has four titles he’ll be chasing at Volusia Speedway Park in February and his chances for one of them recently got an unexpected boost. 

The Mooresville, NC driver didn’t plan on running the opening portion of DIRTcar’s UMP Modified Florida Speedweeks – a 15-race trek across the “Sunshine State” – this month but when Jeff Mathews couldn’t compete during the fourth race of the stretch at Ocala Speedway, Strickler jumped in his car.  

He originally traveled south to assist former NASCAR Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self in preparing for Ocala. Then, he found himself in Mathews’ No. 33 Elite Chassis, winning that night. And he didn’t stop there. Strickler drove Mathews’ backup car the next two nights, scoring a podium finish the first night but then suffering a DNF the last. 

“It was kind of unexpected because we went to help Austin Wayne Self for practice on Wednesday,” Strickler said. “Jeff wasn’t able to make it, so I jumped in the car which was very similar because he runs Elite cars. We made a few adjustments and picked up the win on Thursday, then drove his backup on Friday and Saturday when he showed up (to Ocala). I thought we were gonna be decent (on Saturday), but we broke a left axle toward the end. 

“We left Ocala and drove back home in North Carolina, so we’re getting all my stuff ready to bring the Late Model and Modified down to Volusia. We’ll run the whole thing, so the first few days at the start, all the next week, and then stick around for all of Late Model week.” 

With some extra Speedweek points in his back pocket, Strickler enters the 54th Annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals set to chase another Speedweek title, the DIRTcar UMP Modified Gator Championship, the DIRTcar UMP Modified Big Gator title, and the Super Late Model Big Gator title. The latter is still on his list of trophies to secure. 

Strickler has amassed 17 victories at Volusia – 14 during DIRTcar Nationals with the UMP Modifieds (second-most all-time), two with the World of Outlaws Late Models, and one from the Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial. 

He earned his first Big Gator trophy in 2023 with the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds. 

“I really enjoy going to Volusia,” Strickler said. “It’s one of the places where if you know how to get around it and know the track surface, you can have a lot of success there. I remember going there years ago and struggling, but really wanting to do well there. We finally got to the point where it became one of my favorite places to go, and I really enjoy all three weeks. Anytime they race at Volusia, I try to get down and make it there. 

“We got a really good package, it fits my driving style, and the track surface is ever-changing, similar to (Ocala Speedway). It seems like a lot of the Florida racetracks now get extremely slick in the middle, with grip on the top or the bottom it seems. It makes for a really technical racetrack where you have to use your head as a driver, so I feel it fits me really well.” 

One change that helped him adapt to the track more was when a new load of clay was placed on the track in 2022. It turned the “World’s Fastest Half Mile” from a flat-out track to a more technical one, according to Strickler. 

“Volusia used to be a motor killer,” Strickler said. “It would be a heavy, hammer down all the time track, and it would never really slick up. The last couple of years, it seems like it’s a really fast East Bay and it’s way more technical than it used to be. I feel like that makes it way different than anywhere else in the country. They don’t have grip in the areas you know like the cushion, or sometimes it’s a mud ringer on the bottom and it’s such a huge difference. Between the track conditions making it so fast, it can be super slick and slow throughout the night. 

“The track surface is completely opposite end of the spectrum at the same time, on the same racetrack. You don’t usually see that, so it’s really about adjusting the car to keep up with the track’s changing conditions. It’ll change lap to lap so that makes it extremely technical and even more challenging.” 

Strickler, Nick Hoffman, Kyle Bronson, and Ryan Gustin are among four drivers who have won a DIRTcar Nationals Gator trophy in both a UMP Modified and Super Late Model.  

Knowing the challenge of switching from a Modified to a Late Model since 2020, the transition has become seamless for the “High Side Tickler” with the added perks of driving a Late Model compared to a UMP Modified. 

“It’s easier for the Mod guys to get into the Late Model there because you have so much grip and good information with the manufacturers and shock companies,” Strickler said. “The Modified is a lot more driver dependent, so it definitely helps to have laps all week leading up to the Late Model because once I’m in it, you’re going faster, and the Late Models drive like a Cadillac. You have better brakes, and way more grip, so everything gets multiplied. 

“Racing Modifieds in the previous week to lead up to the Late Model helps switch the focus over and kind of get acquainted with where you need to be for the time spent there. I feel it’s harder going from the Late Model to the Modified because you’re expecting things from a Modified that you get in a Late Model that aren’t there. It’s nicer to prepare with the Modified for Volusia than with a Late Model first.” 

Strickler goes after his second DIRTcar UMP Modified Florida Speedweeks and Big Gator title at the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Jan. 29-Feb. 8. Then he’ll compete with the DIRTcar Late Models and World of Outlaws Late Models, Feb. 10-15. 

DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS 

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

ARTICLE:https://dirtcar.com/dirtcar-ump/kyle-strickler-motivated-to-win-ump-modified-speedweeks-big-gator-championships-in-2025/

EVENT INFO:https://dirtcarnationals.com/
TRACK INFO:https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/ 

FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/