The complexity of racing four-wide was not lost on Hord or the rest of the class. Heading into tomorrow’s eliminations, concentration and patience will be keys to success if a driver is looking to see three win lights in Las Vegas.
STEPHEN BELL WINS DELAYED WINTERNATIONALS FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN
LAS VEGAS, NV (April 13, 2024) – Two weeks ago a severe rain shower that included a brief hailstorm halted the Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Dragstrip at Pomona. Points leader and No. 1 qualifier Mark Pawuk, Stephen Bell and David Davies II remained in competition and completed the race today at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals. Flexjet 2023 championship runner-up Bell emerged victorious outrunning Davies in a classic Chevrolet versus Dodge final round. Bell took a starting line advantage and never trailed in the race posting a winning time of 7.984 second at 172.41 mph over Davies’ 12.098 second run that was hampered by tire shake off the starting line.
Stephen Bell, winner of the NHRA Winternationals, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase
“It’s just an absolute dream come true to get out here and race with your friends and be competitive,” said Bell, at the top end of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Man, outside of marrying my wife and having my three beautiful children winning a Wally is right up there with one of the greatest days of your life. So, no complaints here.”
The two-week delay in getting to the winner’s circle was always in the back of Bell’s mind. In 2023 Bell won the Norwalk Nationals and was runner-up twice in a solid run for the championship. He opened the 2023 season with a runner-up finish at the NHRA Gatornationals. With the win today he moved into the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown points lead and will carry the Flexjet $1,000 bounty into tomorrow’s Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals event.
Stephen Bell and his Chevrolet COPO Camaro (foreground) take off on the way to victory at the rain delayed NHRA Winternationals, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase
“In the back of my mind, there was just always something on my mind the past two weeks,” said Bell. “About half the time I couldn’t remember what it was, you know. We’ve always been able to complete races, whether it was Monday or whatever it was so, in the back of my mind, I was just like, something was always bothering me. I finally realized it was the race I still needed to finish. It was way cool to win the Winternationals in Las Vegas. This was just incredible.”
In the semifinals Davies got the jump on the starting line against Mark Pawuk and never trailed in the drag race winning on a hole shot. For his effort Davies also collected the Flexjet Bounty of $1,000 to defeat the Gatornationals winner. On the track Davies’ reaction time of .030 combined with his elapsed time of 7.983 seconds at 172.50 mph was enough to get him to the finish line in front of Pawuk’s quicker 7.958 seconds elapsed time. Davies advanced to his first career final in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series.
“We had a tough weekend and I am really happy with the effort from my whole team,” said Davies. “Our generator went out on our trailer yesterday and then we lost a motor in the second qualifying session. We had to get a new generator here at 7 a.m. today and replace our motor. The win over Mark was huge and that is a big boost of confidence to get a win like that. Mark is a tough, tough competitor. We just got a little aggressive the final, but I have a lot of confidence in our Mission 22 Dodge Drag Pak team.”
Bell was racing a competition bye in semifinal, and the driver of the Stanfield Engines Red Chevrolet COPO Camaro overpowered the track and drove down the right lane with a time of 12.881 seconds. He will give up lane choice to Davies in the final.
During the original race there were several huge races in the opening rounds including Scott Libersher taking a solid starting line advantage and leading 2023 championship runner-up Bell until 1,000 feet when Bell chased him down for the win. Bell posted low E.T. of the event on the run with a blistering 7.799 seconds at 173.38 mph run in his red Chevrolet COPO Camaro. Two pairs later, Tony Scott Jr. had 0.005 reaction time combined with an 8.252 second at 149.65 mph run to try and take out Gatornationals winner Mark Pawuk and win the Flexjet $1,000 Bounty. Unfortunately for Scott, Pawuk’s Dodge Drag Pak had more power at the top end and defeated Scott’s Chevrolet COPO Camaro to advance to the quarter finals with a winning run of 7.875 seconds at 179.16 mph.
In the second round Davies made his best run of the weekend, 7.828 seconds at 175.82 mph to advance to the semifinals outrunning No. 3 qualifier David Janac. No. 1 qualifier Pawuk earned a competition bye and he stepped his performance up with a 7.831 second run at 175.21 mph. Bell and Doug Hamp were racing with the chance to secure a guaranteed appearance in the final round. Bell made the most of his run getting off the line first with a 0.029 reaction time and posting a 7.800 second pass, the quickest run of the session.
The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will complete the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals tomorrow and then return to action at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, May 17-19.
Flexjet Bounty Program
Gatornationals (Gainesville, FL)
$1,000 bounty collected by Mark Pawuk, defeated Stephen Bell (Norwalk winner)
Winternationals (Pomona, CA)
$1,000 bounty collected by David Davies II, defeated Mark Pawuk (Gatornationals winner)
2024 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results
Gainesville – Mark Pawuk, winner; Stephen Bell, runner-up
Pomona – Stephen Bell, winner; David Davies II, runner-up
KALITTA CLAIMS NO. 1 QUALIFIER SPOT AT LAS VEGAS FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
Antron Brown wins Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Top Fuel
LAS VEGAS (April 13, 2024) – Through sunny skies at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, reigning Top Fuel champion, Doug Kalitta, captured the No. 1 qualifying spot for tomorrow’s eliminations in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. The Michigan native laid down a blistering 3.738 elapsed time, a 336-mph top speed, in the first qualifying session Saturday afternoon – earning his 54th career No. 1 qualifier position.
Defending Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals winner, Antron Brown was victorious in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge Saturday afternoon by defeating Kalitta, Shawn Langdon and Tony Stewart. Brown’s 3.792 elapsed time in the final qualifying session put him No. 6 for tomorrow. This is the second time Brown has won the challenge, and he couples this victory with the Pep Boys All Star Callout win at Gainesville to start the season.
In Funny Car, points leader, J.R. Todd put down his best run of the weekend, a 3.930 elapsed time, late Saturday afternoon to propel him to the No. 3 spot going into Sunday. Alexis DeJoria will be ninth when tomorrow’s eliminations begin and Ron Capps is 11th.
Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 4 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponents |
| Doug Kalitta | Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 1st | S. LangdonS. Torrence |
| Billy Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 4th | B. ForceJ. HartJ. Salinas |
| Antron Brown | Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 6th | C. MillicanT. StewartK. Baldwin |
| Shawn Langdon | Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 8th | D. KalittaS. Torrence |
| Steve Torrence | CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 9th | D. Kalitta S. Langdon |
| Justin Ashley | SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster | 10th | T. SchumacherS. ReedT. Totten |
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS
| Name | Car | Qualifying Position | First Round Opponents |
| Austin Prock | Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car | 1st* | B. AlexanderA. DeJoriaJ. Diehl |
| J.R. Todd | DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 3rd | D. WilkersonR. CappsD. Richards |
| Alexis DeJoria | Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 9th | A. ProckB. AlexanderJ. Diehl |
| Ron Capps | NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car | 11th | J. ToddD. WilkersonD. Richards |
*= Non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
DOUG KALITTA,
TF Qualifying Result: 1st
How does this No. 1 qualifying position feel going into race day tomorrow?
“We definitely feel good heading into race day. My guys stepped it up with the 3.738 in that first session today which was plenty strong for the conditions, and I’m feeling really confident with what we have going on. I think on our last run, we pushed it a little too much to see what we could do. The track feels plenty good in all the lanes so it should be a good day for tomorrow. So much for the advantage of being the low qualifier, but I’ll definitely be up for those three guys – it should be a fun deal. Alan (Johnson, crew chief), Mac (Savage, assistant crew chief) and all my guys will take a look at that ladder and realize we definitely have to get down the track and be on our A Game so it should be fun. It was a little cooler today, but in general, it didn’t really feel like it was. I’m sure it was, but it’ll be a little cooler tomorrow which should play into our hand performance wise. This is always an interesting place to race; there’s always a lot of challenges here, but it’s one of my favorite tracks. I haven’t won here a lot, but it’s a beautiful facility.”
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports
TF Qualifying Result: 6th
Can you talk about the win in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge today and the momentum it brings?
“For sure, a lot of momentum. I think we’re going in the right direction, just need to keep building and get quicker and quicker. When we go out there, I mean, that track, is getting better and better even though the sun is coming out. We thought we needed to run a 3.750 time there, but we just didn’t want to kick ourselves in the foot. So, we stepped it up and did a little bit. Expected like a 3.780 time there. Tomorrow is going to be a whole different ballgame. Our fellas out there, I felt like we were in a good position. Felt Shawn (Langdon) right on the side of us. Something happened to him right around the end of the track, inching and inching, and just drown a little bit around him at the end. It’s so incredible how tight this class is and the way the Kalitta Motorsports cars are running. But yeah, when you have Doug Kalitta, the champion, Shawn Langdon, a previous champion and then you have Tony Stewart, ‘Smoke,’ make it to the final round. I mean, the top eight cars in this Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, they’re all cars that can win on any given day. Going into tomorrow, this gives us a little more confidence, but you know, we have to keep working forward to go forward to be competitive to win this race as it’s going to be triple-A throwdown with the cooler conditions. The track is going to get better, and when it does that, someone is going to run a 3.680 to 3.700 flat and that’s the range you’re going to have to be in to go out there, be competitive and get the job done.”
J.R TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports
FC Qualifying Result: 3rd
Moving up each session and making your best run at the end of the day, the team seems to be working hard and the results are coming.
“Yeah, the guys are working hard and have been doing that all season long. There’s no quit in these guys. Yeah, that’s nice, a 3.930 was something we were shooting for earlier in the weekend, but it’s nice to see that show up on the scoreboard to move us up in the standings. The Four-Wides are such an unknown, it really doesn’t matter where you qualify when you’re racing three other cars out there. But it is nice to have lane choice going into tomorrow and hopefully we can turn on four win lights for everyone out here supporting us with DHL, Revchem, Sealmaster. Want to thank everybody for sticking with us.”
Larson Extends 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Pole Streak to Three-Straight at Texas Motor Speedway
| NASCAR CUP SERIES TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AUTOTRADER ECHO PARK AUTOMOTIVE 400 TEAM CHEVY POST-QUALIFYING REPORT APRIL 13, 2024 |
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| · For the third consecutive race, Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green-flag in tomorrow’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. · Larson posted a fastest-lap of 28.366 seconds, at 190.369 mph, in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 to claim his 19th career NASCAR Cup Series pole. · The feat marked yet another milestone achievement for Hendrick Motorsports with Larson delivering the Chevrolet organization its 250th all-time pole in NASCAR’s premier series. · This marks Larson’s third consecutive pole win of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, also extending Chevrolet’s pole streak to four-straight in the series – a run that dates back to his teammate William Byron’s pole at Circuit of The Americas (March 24, 2024). · The pole marks Chevrolet’s 16th all-time NASCAR Cup Series pole at Texas Motor Speedway, and the manufacturer’s 747th all-time pole in NASCAR’s premier series – both of which are series-leading records. · FS1 will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 14, at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. |
| TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP: POS. DRIVER1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL16th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 |
 Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 – Pole Win Media Availability QuotesTAKE US THROUGH YOUR POLE-WINNING LAP HERE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. “Yeah, it was a pretty intense qualifying session. I felt like the track was really slick in practice, and then having to kind of talk to yourself before you make your lap, knowing that you have to commit even more than you did in practice to go fast is difficult. And then yeah, just the lap itself – the first round and second round both, there were moments where you have grip, and then moments where you’re like man, I’m going to crash. It’s pretty intense from behind the wheel, but always great when you can accomplish a pole and feel like you beat your confidence a little bit.” WHAT’S IT LIKE RIGHT NOW, GOING THROUGH THIS PHASE OF HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HITTING SO MANY DIFFERENT MILESTONES ACROSS ALL THE DRIVERS? OBVIOUSLY YOU WEREN’T THERE AT THE START, BUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS WILL PROBABLY BE AROUND FOR A LOT LONGER WITH A LOT MORE MILESTONES TO COME. BUT IN THIS MOMENT NOW, OVER THE LAST EIGHT OR NINE MONTHS, WHAT’S THAT LIKE TO BE A PART OF THAT LEGACY? “Yeah, it’s pretty neat. Whenever you can kind of be ‘the guy’, I guess, to know that your name is going to be next to that milestone number – it’s pretty special. You know, like when I was able to be a part of win 269, like you feel the excitement; the happiness from Rick (Hendrick) and everybody that’s been a part of the organization for a long time. And then, even being out there on the opposite side of things – with William (Byron) winning 300 last year here at Texas, I was obviously super bummed because I was dominating the race and lost, but at the same point, I was really happy for the team. Even last week, I’m obviously bummed I didn’t win, but super, super happy for the team. Especially this year, being the 40th anniversary season for Hendrick Motorsports, there’s these milestones that are all kind of coming up right now. It’s just cool to get the 250th Cup Series pole, and I feel like I’m contributing to the record books at Hendrick Motorsports.” NOT JUST FOR HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE DRIVE FOR DIVERSITY PROGRAM – 52 POLES NOW FOR ALL OF THEM, BUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT MILESTONES FOR THAT PROGRAM, AS WELL. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO SEE THAT PROGRAM NOW FINALLY SEEING THE FRUITS OF ITS LABOR AND THE SUCCESS THAT IT’S HAVING FROM ALL OF THAT INVESTMENT TO THE PROGRAM? “Yeah, I think I kind of touched on it maybe last week. Same thing.. it’s just really cool to see it all paying off. I think now, you’re seeing it pay off because these drivers are in really good equipment. You need good equipment in this sport, but it takes a large investment and they’ve been able to do that here lately. It seems like the last few years have helped get their drivers in some good stuff. Yeah, it’s awesome and I definitely always cheer those drivers on. When they can get a pole or get a win, it’s definitely good for the program.” BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE DIRT TRACK, ARE YOU FOCUSED ON THE RACE TOMORROW? IS THERE A LOT OF DEBRIEF, OR ARE YOU ABLE TO TAKE A NAP? DO YOU HAVE TO GO OVER AND DO ANY ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF AS A HIGH LIMIT SERIES OWNER? “No.. no, we’ll have our debrief here in a couple of minutes to talk about today. I think I have maybe an autograph session here in a little bit.. just normal stuff. Everything is pretty well handled on the High Limit side. When it’s race day, I’m just a driver. I’ll go say ‘hi’ to all of them, but no, there’s nothing I need to do on the administrative side. And then same thing with the No. 57 sprint car.. like everything is pretty well handled there. I just show up; go to the driver’s meeting, hop in the car for engine heat, go race and cross my fingers and hope I do good.” I’VE HEARD PEOPLE MENTION THAT PIT STALLS AND STARTING POSITIONS ARE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT HERE IN TEXAS. IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND HOW EXCITING IS IT TO DO AS WELL AS YOU DID IN QUALIFYING GOING INTO THE RACE? “Well I think in the Next Gen stuff, qualifying is very important because of just track position and it being much harder to pass than it used to be. As far as pit stalls and stuff, this is one of the easier pit roads, I feel like. It’s wide and the stalls are not too small, so it’s not too bad, as long you as you don’t get stuck. Like say you qualified bad and you have to pick a stall in between two good cars and you’re also a good car.. like Kyle Busch will probably have a rough day on pit road tomorrow. But yeah, you try to put an emphasis on qualifying for sure these days.” GOING BACK-AND-FORTH BETWEEN A CUP CAR AND A SPRINT CAR IS ROUTINE FOR YOU, BUT HOW ABOUT GOING BACK-AND-FORTH BETWEEN THE INDYCAR AND THE CUP CAR.. IS THAT MORE DIFFICULT, BASICALLY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CAR? “Well I mean I don’t really think it is that different anymore. I’m not sure.. I just think maybe with my experience of just driving different cars – I’m just guessing, but maybe I just adapt quicker than others might bouncing back-and-forth. But this week, the track was so gripped up in Indy that you’re just kind of driving around the track. It wasn’t ever sketchy-feeling, and hopefully it never gets that way. But no, I don’t know.. it’s fine. I think the biggest thing for me, going from a Cup car to an IndyCar, is just remembering what all the buttons and stuff on the steering wheel do. That’s really the biggest thing, so far. Like every time I get in, I’m like – OK, what’s this weight jacker, left versus right, do.. moving the bar forward versus rearward, like what does that do. I just have to get reminded of that it seems like every time I get back in it.” |
chevy racing–NASCAR–texas–william Byron
| NASCAR CUP SERIES TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AUTOTRADER ECHO PARK AUTOMOTIVE 400 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT APRIL 13, 2024 |
| WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway. Media Availability Quotes: I JUST TALKED TO JIMMIE JOHNSON ABOUT HOW THE PLAYOFFS HAVE CHANGED SINCE HE WAS A FULL-TIME DRIVER IN NASCAR. NOW IT’S MUCH MORE COMPLICATED TO STRING TOGETHER CHAMPIONSHIPS LIKE HE DID. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON IT – ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE AT? DO YOU THINK IT’S BEST THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE IT NOW, VERSUS THE WAY THAT THEY HAD IT THEN? “It’s just the format that I’ve always raced in, so I don’t know any different. That’s how we’ve always done it. The first year I was in Trucks, they didn’t have the playoff points, and then a lot of people said they created the playoff points because of us and having that motor issue at Phoenix that ultimately took us out. We had a dominate year and we got to the end, and we were in an even playing field with the eighth seed and we got eliminated. I think the playoff points are a good thing, but I don’t know any different. I think it’s just the format and the nature of it is very intense.. very stressful. But I think that’s what you want in sports, really.. to have something that really challenges everyone. So, I feel like the way it is brings out those dramatic moments. If I were a fan, that’s what I would like to see. As a competitor, you do have to take it with a grain of salt, knowing that really it’s about Phoenix. So, you’ve just got to prepare that way; know that’s the case and try to bring your best stuff then. I’ve seen talk about doing a three-race format for the championship. If that’s the direction that they went, I wouldn’t be opposed, but I’m just going to race in whatever format it is and I’m not going to worry about what I can’t control.” THIS RACE HAS BEEN PRIMARLY RAN IN THE FALL AND NOW IT’S MOVED UP TO THE SPRING. HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IS THERE GOING TO BE IN THE RACING? “Yeah, I mean the biggest difference is that I can’t watch the Masters (laughs), so that’s about it. Really, it’s kind of back to how it was my first couple of years in Cup – I guess we would race here twice a year, but we would come here around this weekend. The track is just a little bit cooler. The last few times we’ve been here, it’s been scorching hot.. I mean ridiculous, like 100-plus, and a day race. So, I’m sure this will be a lot more pleasant for the fans watching in the stands because that race in the fall was definitely brutal, and I just think it will be a better overall thing for everyone. But for us with track temps and everything – I mean I don’t think it changes a whole lot. The track was really greasy when it was 100-plus to start, but then we gained grip. I feel like it’ll probably just have more grip to start. This place is treacherous, and it just has a lot of different traits than a lot of 1.5-mile tracks.” WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM LAST WEEKEND? WHAT’S YOUR BEST MEMORY OR SOMETHING THAT FOLLOWED IT? IT WAS JUST SO BIG FOR THE SPORT..“Yeah, for me, it felt like a full circle moment – just with all the history at Martinsville with being in the No. 24, having Jeff (Gordon) there and talking to Rick (Hendrick) on the phone. And then going to celebrate with him (Rick Hendrick) on Monday. We did a little photo op at his house, which it was awesome to see him. It’s been a few weeks. And I think just the history that Hendrick Motorsports has and just seeing all the people there. It was just a full circle moment I think, and it was just really a family atmosphere to have everyone there to celebrate. It was just awesome. I’m glad that we could win. I was really glad to see all of us running so well. Those cars were awesome looking, and I felt like the ruby red schemes were always like in or around the top-six. And then at the end, we all just kind of had a sea of red at the front. So that was pretty neat. You don’t see that often in modern day Cup racing.. to have three cars in the top-three like that, and four of us in the top eight, so it was just pretty amazing.” YOU MENTIONED THE MASTERS.. HAVE YOU BEEN TO AUGUSTA AND WATCHED IT LIVE? DO YOU PLAY GOLF, AND IF SO, WHAT’S YOUR HANDICAP? “Yeah, I have. I haven’t been that into golf lately, but I did play this week a little bit. But I love the Masters. I’ve been once or twice, and it’s just a very special place. Just has that kind of history behind it and that aura when you walk in. It’s really cool. It’s comparable to some of the racetracks that we go to that have a lot of history. I think it’s just a special event. I like how fan friendly it is and everything. I was around an eight handicap, but I’m probably like a 10 or a 12 right now because I haven’t played in months.” WHAT WAS IT LIKE LAST WEEKEND.. MR. HENDRICK COULDN’T BE THERE AT THE TRACK, SO WHEN YOU GUYS GOT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THINGS RAMPED UP FOR THE CELEBRATION, WHAT WAS THAT LIKE? “It was really cool. Got a chance to see him at his house, and just seeing him and Linda (Hendrick) and how excited they were. Linda was taking photos on her phone, and she was just so excited. So, it was really neat to share that with them. And just like I said, the history of our company and everything that they’ve accomplished – it was something that we haven’t done before, so that was cool.” YOU’RE DOING PRETTY DARN GOOD THIS YEAR. YOU’VE SHOWN IN THE PAST THAT YOU CAN DO THAT. I ASKED YOU LAST YEAR ABOUT BEING A FAVORITE AND YOU SAID YOU DIDN’T THINK YOU WERE, BUT ALL LAST WEEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN THE MEDIA, PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT YOU’RE THE GUY TO WATCH THIS SEASON TO MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR AND POSSIBLY WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. DOES ANY OF THAT, THIS EARLY THIS SEASON, EVEN PLAY INTO YOUR FACTORING? “Not really. Like I said, with this format, I feel like it’s the nature of the beast. You have to keep accumulating the playoff points and try to get to the end of the season with your best performances. I mean for us, it’s great to win races. It’s awesome to lead some of those categories, but we have a lot of work to do. The days that we’ve been on, we’ve been really on. And then we’ve had a few solid days, as well. But we just have to execute every week. That’s really what I want to put together is consistent weeks, and we’ve started to do that the last three. We just want those bad days to be ninth or 10th, and those good days to still have the wins. It’s just a tough sport. Everyone is really good. We don’t know what we’ll have when we unload here. We feel like we have a good idea, but you never know what the weekend is going to be like.” YOU STARTED OFF LAST YEAR VERY SIMILARLY TO THIS YEAR.. REALLY, REALLY HOT. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS NEXT GEN CAR THAT SEEMS TO FIT YOUR DRIVING STYLE BETTER? IT SEEMS LIKE YOU AND RUDY (FUGLE) ARE REALLY, REALLY CLICKING, AND THERE’S A LOT OF TALK THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE NEXT JIMMIE JOHNSON AND CHAD KNAUS. “Yeah, so I’ve thought a lot about that because I’ve seen some talk about that. I do think the Next Gen car has been a good reset for us. But when Rudy (Fugle) came in 2021, we won the third race of the year on a 1.5-mile track, and then we had like 13 or 14 straight top-10s. We’ve had speed since he’s come on board and we’ve had that chemistry, and I thought there were a lot of races that we could have won that year in 2021 that we didn’t close the deal all the way through the playoffs. The Round of Eight, we had like a 3.0 average finish. The Next Gen car was just a good reset for us – to go in and have a clean slate, and we really attacked it head-on. There was a little bit of discomfort early on when we were testing the car because we just weren’t sure how it was going to go. But we just kind of used that, took that challenge, and we had speed at the first few tests that we had at Charlotte. And then the short-track test at Phoenix, as well, we had pretty good speed, and then we just hit the ground running when we started with that car. And then I think you just work with what you have. The Next Gen car has continued to evolve. The competition is closer than ever, so I feel like attention to detail has been really where we could put our focus. Just feel like we’ve adapted to it, but like I said, when he (Rudy Fugle) came onboard and we started to click, we had a lot of success and we just had to use this car as kind of a platform to keep that going.” THOSE NEW TOYOTA’S CAME OUT – WHAT’S YOUR IMPRESSION RUNNING AGAINST THOSE GUYS? “I just worry about the Chevy I’m in. I don’t care.. we just race against our competition and just try to make the most of it. I mean obviously they have a lot of speed. They had pretty good speed at Las Vegas, but they were really good at Phoenix and the short-tracks, and we had a lot of work to do. Feel like you never know what’s going to happen here. I mean the Ford’s could be strong. We could be really good again. You just don’t know, so you just have to go out there and see.” WHO’S AN UP-AND-COMING DRIVER THAT YOU BELIEVE HAS THE BRIGHTEST FUTURE? “I don’t know.. it’s so hard to tell until they get to the Cup level and kind of put the work in that it takes to be good. But I don’t know.. there’s a few out there. I think Corey Heim is doing a good job. I think he has a good approach, a good mindset. He races clean, but races hard. He gets the positions he needs to, but doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.” LOOKING AHEAD AT TALLADEGA, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT RACE? “Yeah, I mean anytime you go to Talladega, it’s pretty unpredictable. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Our drafting has been pretty good, but you don’t want your luck to run out, in a sense, so you just have to be a good pusher. You have to be able to get pushed well; do all the little things right. I think we know in the Cup Series who the drafters are, and there’s a few out there to try and work with and be around. Just try to have a solid weekend. You can’t really control the result there, but you can try and get good stage points, and try to be a good drafter and learn because that race in the playoffs is huge.” IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE YOU WIN, THERE ARE MORE COMPARISONS TO JEFF GORDON. AS YOU CONTINUE IN YOUR CAREER AND WIN MORE, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT ESTABLISHING ‘WILLIAM BYRON’, THE BRAND?“Yeah, I mean we’re already working towards it. I was put into Jeff’s (Gordon) car and that was a lot of pressure, and we had to kind of make it our own. I feel like Jeff is a great mentor and a great asset for our team, and we use him a lot in different ways and talking off the track. But he made it known when I got in the car, that it’s my own and we kind of built the team that way – with the people and all that we have on our team. I get that question a lot, but it’s just about trying to focus on what we can do. Hopefully the fans like that. It seems like we’ve gotten a lot of support lately, so hopefully the old No. 24 fans can kind of adapt and grow with us.” |
THRILL OF THE SHOW: Nick Hoffman Wins Illini 100 Opener in Photo Finish With Bobby Pierce
“The Thrill From Mooresville” sweeps the night at Farmer City Raceway and earns his third career World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Feature win
FARMER CITY, IL (April 12, 2024) – The checkered flag waited over an empty straightaway for the victor. Nick Hoffman’s NOS Energy Drink No. 9 Late Model was the first car in its line of sight entering Turn 3, but not cleanly. He pushed up the track, allowing Bobby Pierce to sneak underneath.
Who would it be? Pierce? He tried to slide ahead off Turn 4. But no, Hoffman was not letting his day end like this. With all four wheels off the track, in the loose dirt, making his own lane to the outside of Pierce, Hoffman edged the champion by 0.072 seconds to be the victor at Farmer City Raceway for the Illini 100 opener.
The victory – his third with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models and second this year – came after nearly giving up on attending the event. Early Friday morning, Hoffman had two blown tires on his hauler while making the trip to Farmer City.
Running on two hours of sleep and cans of NOS Energy Drink, the Mooresville, NC driver overcame the issue and piloted his Tye Twarog Racing Late Model to a career performance. He set the Dirt King Simulators Hottest Hot Lap of the night, earned the Simpson Quick Time Award, won his Heat Race and then won the 40-lap Feature.
“Last night, at 2 a.m., I blew two tires off my trailer, and I thought about going back home,” Hoffman said. “I’m running on two hours of sleep, but luckily, we’re sponsored by NOS Energy Drink, so it got us through the day. Swept the night and it’s pretty wild. I always joke and say you never win Hot Laps, but tonight, I did it all and that’s pretty damn cool.”
The only thing he didn’t win was the Bilstein Pole Award in the redraw, which went to Robeline, LA’s Cade Dillard.
He led the pack of 26 cars to the green flag, but Hoffman passed him for the race lead by the end of the second lap.
The Feature continued to stay under the green flag for 30 laps until two cautions struck with 10 laps to go, mounting the pressure on Hoffman to complete the night with a win.
Sitting behind him on the restart was Oakwood, IL native Bobby Pierce, who fought through the top-10 to place himself in a position to win the $10,000 prize.
The final laps saw Hoffman do all he could to hold off “The Smooth Operator,” keeping a gap between the two drivers. However, Pierce stayed enough in tow of the No. 9 that when the opportunity to win arose, he could strike.
That moment came on the white flag, as Hoffman made a bobble in Turns 3 and 4, opening the door for Pierce to make his move. The two drivers collided on the front stretch, with Pierce about sideways by the finish line and Hoffman on the horse track of the raceway.
Hoffman held enough of an advantage to score his first World of Outlaws win at Farmer City.
“The race car was great all night and didn’t have to tune on it too much,” Hoffman said. “I won a lot of races here in my Modified and turned tons of laps here in both a Late Model and Modified. It was pretty good there, didn’t wanna make it that exciting for sure. I wasn’t gonna do it like what I did to (Chris) Madden at Volusia.
“I knew (Pierce) was gonna try sliding me there, and I screwed up through (Turns) three and four there and hammered down to the finish line. I was impressed the scoring loop ran all the way down to the horse track because I was all the way off the track and still picked me up. Pretty wild. Not the way we wanted to win there, but I did what I had to do.”
Pierce finished second, originally thinking he had won the Feature. Despite coming up short, he was happy with how the car performed through the abundance of lap traffic he had to navigate – giving the reigning Series champion something to look forward to for Saturday night’s $20,000-to-win event.
“The car was really good,” Pierce said. “It allowed us to come up from sixth and I rallied to third quick before I got pushed off and fell back a bit so I had to work to get them all back. At that point in time, we were really fast, but it was a challenge. (Farmer City) is always really challenging, always up on the wheel and it’s a Illinois bullring for sure. You gotta be up on the wheel the whole race, a big ole cushion in Turns three and four.
“Nick never made a mistake there and until the last corner, I didn’t expect a good chance to come. I wasn’t even close! When he bobbled and got up on the cushion and got stuck up on it, I saw it out of the corner of my eye, so I gassed it and got ahead of him, and I expected him to come down and get me on the front. I don’t know how he made it work. I thought I won because I couldn’t see him because he was so far off the track. I guess they made the right call with the transponders and congrats to him. He drove a heck of a race out of that very last corner.”
Dillard completed Friday night’s podium finishers in third, hoping to have had a better shot at fighting Hoffman and Pierce for the win by the end of the Feature.
“I felt like once we got in the lap traffic, that was probably the only chance we had at (Hoffman) there,” Dillard said. “I wasn’t gonna drive into him, but I did not want the last caution to fly there. We were a little bit free at the end and we’ll work on it and try to be a little better tomorrow.”
New Waverly, TX driver Tyler Erb finished the night in fourth place, and 2006 World of Outlaws CASE Late Models champion Tim McCreadie finished the night fifth – debuting his new Rocket1 Racing ride with the World of Outlaws.
Gray Court, SC driver Chris Madden scored the Fox Factory Hard Charger award from his 11-place climb to finish 12th from his initial 23rd starting spot in the Feature.
Continuing to lead the points standings is New Berlin, IL driver Brandon Sheppard – who now holds a 22-point gap over Madden in second place.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return once more to Farmer City Raceway to conclude the Illini 100 on Saturday, April 13. The night’s 60-lap Feature will pay $20,000-to-win, totaling a full 100 laps over the two days of racing. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota join the Late Models for 30 laps and giving $5,000 to the night’s victor. For tickets, CLICK HERE
Ryan Timms Wins Farmer City Opener, Becomes Fifth Different Winner in Five Races
Timms’ win, McIntosh’s fifth-place finish cuts points gap down to 17
FARMER CITY, IL (April 12, 2024) – Ryan Timms took a big step in pursuit of his first national Midget series championship Friday night, winning the opening round of racing at Farmer City Raceway.
The 17-year-old rising open-wheel talent from Oklahoma City, OK, owned the night, setting the fastest lap time in his Qualifying group, winning his Heat Race from fourth, passing for the lead in the Feature on Lap 10 and leading the rest of the way for his first win of the season with both the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota and the POWRi National Midget League.
Timms’ win makes him the fifth different winner in the first five races of the 2024 Xtreme Outlaw Series season, joining Thomas Meseraull, Cannon McIntosh, Karter Sarff and Kale Drake as Victory Lane occupants.
Early in the program, Timms noted the speed of the Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM), LynK/Toyota #67 and took advantage of it immediately, jumping off to a fast start in the 25-lap main event.
“After the Heat Race, I had a lot of confidence going into the main,” Timms said.
Kale Drake – Timms’ teammate – jumped to the early lead at the drop of the green and led the opening circuits ahead of Chase McDermand and Ashton Torgerson. Timms quickly found the top lane to his liking and devised his plan to start making passes.
“Once we went into (Turns) 3 and 4, I was able to just rail the top and I saw how much of the gap between me and the lead cars closed,” Timms said. “I knew we were gonna be passing for the lead soon.”
After getting by Torgerson for third, Timms threw his first big slide job on McDermand, diving deep into Turn 3 on the bottom and sliding up in front of McDermand to take his line away out of Turn 4.
“It’s a lot wider in (Turns) 3 and 4 and it was really hooked-up on the bottom to the middle getting into 3, so I could just sail it in wide-open,” Timms said. “I could be five-to-six car-lengths back and I could clear the guy. I knew that was where I was gonna be able to pass guys.”
Three laps later, Timms pulled the slide job again in 3 and 4, this time on his KKM teammate Drake for the lead.
Now in control of the field, Timms pinned the throttle, opening up a 1.5-second advantage on the field before a caution period restacked the field with only seven laps remaining.
On the Lap 19 restart, Torgerson took the green from third with McDermand in front of him. Torgerson stuck to the top side and zoomed past McDermand off Turn 4 to take second at the line. McDermand tried to take the spot back with a slider of his own the next lap in Turn 3, but Torgerson crossed him over to retain second place out of Turn 4.
“I saw [McDermand] running kind of the lower line down there in (Turns) 3 and 4, and I felt like I was probably one of the faster cars up there in 3 and 4,” Torgerson said. “I just knew that if I hit my line up there, it’d be pretty hard for him to get around me.”
With 20 laps down and five remaining, one final yellow flag was displayed, putting Torgerson on Timms’ rear bumper for the restart. Despite his teammate Torgerson’s speed behind him, Timms stuck to his preferred groove at the drop of the green and held the lead.
“I just stuck to running the bottom, and I knew if anyone was going to pass me, it was gonna be in (Turn) 3,” Timms said. “I’d run it in wide-open getting into 3 and 4 around the top and I’d be looking to my inside to see if anyone was sliding me so I could turn and get a run down the hill, but that never happened.”
Though he was unable to get close enough to Timms to challenge for the led, Torgerson said he felt like he should have been.
“A little bit longer, I think we might’ve had something for him,” Torgerson said.
Timms crossed under the checkered flag and bagged the $4,000 check and his first career victory with in the Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series with Torgerson second, McDermand third, Zach Daum fourth and Cannon McIntosh completing the top five.
With the win, Timms chopped his points gap down to only 17 points – a 30-point gain on leader McIntosh. McDermand also slimmed his gap to McIntosh down to 42, still riding third in the standings.
UP NEXT
The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets and POWRi National Midgets are back in action at Farmer City alongside the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models for another round of racing on Saturday night, April 13. Tickets are available at XtremeOutlawSeries.com; stream available on DIRTVision.
ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 67-Ryan Timms[4]; 2. 67K-Ashton Torgerson[3]; 3. 40-Chase McDermand[1]; 4. 7U-Zach Daum[5]; 5. 71K-Cannon McIntosh[10]; 6. 97-Gavin Miller[9]; 7. 9-Kevin Thomas Jr[6]; 8. 56-Tyler Edwards[7]; 9. 19M-Ethan Mitchell[16]; 10. 56D-Mitchell Davis[14]; 11. 19AZ-Hayden Reinbold[17]; 12. 21K-Karter Sarff[11]; 13. 4K-Kayla Roell[21]; 14. 14S-TJ Smith[12]; 15. 1K-Brayton Lynch[15]; 16. 5U-Peter Smith[18]; 17. 66-Jayden Clay[24]; 18. 13-Elijah Gile[19]; 19. 55-Trevor Cline[23]; 20. 57-Mark McMahill[22]; 21. 73W-Luke Wackerlin[25]; 22. 43-Gunnar Setser[8]; 23. 97K-Kale Drake[2]; 24. 98-Luke Drotschie[13]; 25. 71-Jade Avedisian[20]
BIG GAME BEATDOWN: David Gravel Leads Every Lap for I-55 Victory
BIG GAME BEATDOWN: David Gravel Leads Every Lap for I-55 Victory
The point leader picks up his third victory of the season in impressive fashion
PEVELY, MO (April 12, 2024) – Nothing is slowing David Gravel right now. And that held true again on Friday night.
Lapped traffic couldn’t slow him. Cautions that erased his lead couldn’t slow him. Even a slide job that briefly cost him the lead couldn’t slow him at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.
Gravel started on the front row of the Feature and drove a masterful 40 laps on his way to a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory at the Pevely, MO bullring. The Watertown, CT native sliced the Big Game Motorsports machine through heavy traffic and held off one strong challenge from Michael “Buddy” Kofoid to secure his third win of 2024.
“What a car we had tonight,” Gravel said. “I was nervous early on. Qualifying didn’t go very good, but we were still able to get a good Qualifying effort there. Cody (Jacobs) kept working on it, and in the Dash I knew we had something really good. It feels good to win one here. I haven’t won here since like 2016. It’s been way too long.”
The win marked the 91st of Gravel’s career with The Greatest Show on Dirt, equaling him with Brad Sweet for ninth on the all-time win list. It also was his 33rd since joining Tod Quiring’s Big Game team, making the organization the team he’s won the most often with in World of Outlaws competition. Gravel now owns a pair of I-55 checkered flags, and the track is the 19th in which he’s won at multiple times in Series competition.
Gravel started the race in the second position as Toyota Racing Dash winner – Giovanni Scelzi – led the field to green. Right away Gravel flexed his muscle by powering around Scelzi on the top to secure the top spot and lead the opening lap.
As they worked through the opening circuits Gravel committed to the low line while Scelzi worked to build momentum on the top. Scelzi kept the KCP Racing #18 glued behind Gravel, but Buddy Kofoid began to reel them both in quickly. On the sixth lap Kofoid slipped under Scelzi to take over the runner-up spot.
Up ahead Gravel began to negotiate heavy lapped traffic. Kofoid started to close in for the top spot, but the race’s first caution on Lap 9 gave Gravel a clear track again.
On the restart Gravel moved to the topside, and Kofoid fired a slider at him aboard the Roth Motorsports #83. The Penngrove, CA native couldn’t quite clear Gravel as Kofoid settled back into second down the back straightaway. It only took a few laps before Gravel neared the tail of the field, but it was déjà vu as the yellow lights again flashed right when the leaders were staring at heavy traffic.
The next restart served up Gravel’s biggest challenge of the night as he again went for the cushion in Turn 1. Kofoid tossed another slide job and cleared him with this attempt. As they exited Turn #2, Gravel aimed the Huset’s Speedway #2 low and drove back by Kofoid down the back straightaway.
When the race entered the second half, Gravel truly began to show what his machine was capable of. He dipped and dived his way through traffic, stretching his advantage to nearly three seconds at times. Behind him, a war between Kofoid, Scelzi, Bill Balog, and Carson Macedo broke out for positioning inside the top five. The group swapped many sliders and crossovers as they jockeyed for spots while Gravel drove away.
A late caution with seven laps remaining gave Kofoid and the rest of the frontrunners one last shot at Gravel, but he wasted no time pulling ahead on the final restart. Kofoid and Macedo went to battle for second as Gravel drove away to the win and his fifth consecutive top-two finish.
“It’s a lot of fun to drive this #2 car right now. I feel like we’ve kind of been there the whole year other than Cotton Bowl when we got into a crash and had to come to the work area,” Gravel said. “Everything has been going really good. We’re just going to stay focused, put our heads down, and keep working.”
Kofoid fended off Macedo’s late challenge to claim the runner-up spot, marking his best finish of his rookie season. The 22-year-old is now on a roll of seven straight top 10s with a 6.29 average finish over that span. Kofoid found that the race’s cautions came during inopportune moments that might’ve prevented him from mustering a better challenge for the win.
“I feel like we were every bit as good as them (Gravel), maybe more towards the end,” Kofoid said. “Lapped traffic is kind of where I thrive and where our car seems to be really good right now. We’d get to traffic and get to him, and then the yellow would come out. It kept repeating itself a few times. I think we definitely got a lot better throughout the night. I went from being very uncomfortable to having a chance to win.”
Completing the top three was Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing team. Macedo hasn’t missed the top 10 since the final night of DIRTcar Nationals in early February as he continues to build momentum. The Lemoore, CA native owns podiums in five of the last seven World of Outlaws races at I-55. He used some strong restarts to climb from the fifth starting spot to second at one point before settling for third.
“I think plugging the bottom was kind of my goal there,” Macedo said of his restarts. “I felt like a lot of guys would kind of sling around the top, and if I could hit it down there right and not grab that little lip and get my front end over, I could execute down there pretty nice, get down the back stretch, and beat them into Turn 3. Hats off to Philip Dietz, Adam Zimmerman, and Robby McQuinn. They worked hard all night.”
Bill Balog and Giovanni Scelzi completed the top five.
A 24th to 12th drive in his first Series start of the season gave Noah Gass the KSE Racing Hard Charger.
Giovanni Scelzi claimed his second Simpson Quick Time of the year and the 13th of his career.
NOS Energy Drink Heats One, Three, and Four went to Giovanni Scelzi (43rd Heat Race win of career), Carson Macedo (115th of career), and David Gravel (246th of career). Milton Hershey School Heat Two belonged to Donny Schatz (522nd of career).
Logan McCandless won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars finish up the weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday, April 13. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[2]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 4. 17B-Bill Balog[4]; 5. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[1]; 6. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[6]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart[11]; 8. 15-Donny Schatz[7]; 9. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[13]; 10. 122-Joe B Miller[12]; 11. 70-Kraig Kinser[17]; 12. 20G-Noah Gass[24]; 13. 88-Austin McCarl[18]; 14. 24D-Danny Sams III[22]; 15. 7S-Landon Crawley[14]; 16. 23B-Brian Bell[15]; 17. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[10]; 18. 23-Garet Williamson[9]; 19. 29-Logan McCandless[21]; 20. 99-Skylar Gee[23]; 21. 21R-Gunner Ramey[16]; 22. 24T-Christopher Thram[19]; 23. 73-Scotty Thiel[20]; 24. 87-Aaron Reutzel[8]
JOHN FORCE RACING KEEPS MOMENTUM GOING WITH STRONG QUALIFYING EFFORT IN VEGAS
Austin Prock earns provisional No. 2 spot in Funny Car, while John Force is right behind in No. 3. Brittany Force is No. 5 in Top Fuel |
| LAS VEGAS (April 12, 2024) – Continuing the momentum gained from two wins last weekend at Phoenix, John Force Racing got off to a strong start in Friday’s first day of qualifying for the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In Funny Car, Austin Prock captured the provisional No. 2 qualifying position, while team owner John Force grabbed the No. 3 spot. Meanwhile, Brittany Force took the provisional No. 5 qualifying spot in Top Fuel. “We’re coming back stronger this year,” Brittany Force said of the collective JFR effort. “It was a tough season for us last year. We’re not done qualifying, there’s still more out there, but qualifying 2, 3 and 5 is a pretty good place to be.” Driving the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, Prock was second-quickest (4.015 seconds/317.34 mph) after Friday’s first round of qualifying. In the second round, he briefly grabbed the No. 1 spot (3.947 seconds/321.42 mph) before Bob Tasca III passed him by. “It’s a great start to the day,” Prock said. “We have to keep pecking away at No. 1. We’re having fun out here.” Prock has two more chances Saturday to retake that No. 1 spot from Tasca and any other challengers for king of the Funny Car hill. “We were second-quick both sessions,” Prock said. “Q1 we made a little bit of a mistake and it probably cost us low ET in the second session. We couldn’t push quite as hard as we wanted to but did good enough to run second-quick, so that’s four more points for this Cornwell Tools machine. “We’re the Funny Car points leader now, so hopefully we can hang onto that throughout the weekend.” Prock has been the most successful qualifier in Funny Car this season. In his first NHRA race ever in a Funny Car, he earned No. 1 honors in the season-opening race at Gainesville, Fla., and again last week in Phoenix. He finished runner-up at Gainesville and then earned his first Funny Car “Wally” winner’s trophy at Phoenix, joining team owner John Force, who won the weather-delayed final round of Pomona (which was rescheduled and relocated to Phoenix). Speaking of Force, he failed to qualify (4.579 seconds/183.59 mph) in Friday’s first round, leaving him and his PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team needing to roar back with a stronger effort in the day’s second round. And roar back, Force did, with an effort of 3.962 seconds/313.73 mph, seeing him jump up to the provisional No. 3 qualifying position. “I’m excited for PEAK, Monster, Cornwell and of course, Chevrolet,” Force said. “We’re on a roll here. But trust me, I had my hands full on that last round. “I was down sideways in the lights. It got loose but I was able (to hold it), because I’ve learned from making that mistake, get it off that center. I got it off and made it to the light. So, it was a good day for me personally and a good day for the entire team.” In Top Fuel on Friday, Brittany Force was the No. 8 provisional qualifier in the first round (4.804 seconds/155.04 mph). But in the second round, the driver of the Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster had a significantly better run of 3.820 seconds at 326.56 mph, moving her up to the No. 5 spot on the qualifying ladder. “Our first run was unfortunate,” Brittany Force said. “It’s not what we were aiming to do. We didn’t have enough in the car, we slowed it down, and it went out there and drove into smoke again. “So we stepped it up in Q2, went straight down there and ran an .82. That was great. So it’s a great spot to be in. We get two more runs in the other two lanes Saturday, so I’m looking forward to that.” One other item of note: Saturday’s two final Funny Car qualifying sessions will also be part of the season-long Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. Force and Prock will square off against each other along with Funny Car points leader J.R. Todd and Dan Wilkerson in one quad segment of the Challenge, while the other quad features Alexis DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon, Paul Lee and Blake Alexander. |
DOUBLE TROUBLE: FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN RACES FOUR-WIDE FOR FIRST TIME IN VEGAS AND CONCLUDES RAIN DELAYED WINTERNATIONALS
LAS VEGAS, NV (April 10, 2024) – The NHRA Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals will be packed with Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown action this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, April 12-14. The fan favorite class featuring Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks will battle it out across four lanes for the first time in Las Vegas and just the third time in class history. In 2022 and 2023 the factory stock hot rods raced at famed zMAX Dragway outside of Charlotte, North Carolina with Bill Skillman and Lenny Lottig taking home the NHRA Wally trophies for their winning efforts, respectively. This weekend a tough group of Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford competitors will be lining four-wide to see who will race to the winner’s circle on Sunday in the third race of the NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series.
Before the four-wide champion is crowned there is still some unfinished business to handle as points leader Mark Pawuk, 2023 series runner-up Stephen Bell and David Davies will be racing to finish the rain delayed NHRA Winternationals. The trio of drivers’ race day was cut short in March by a rain and hailstorm that forced the abrupt conclusion of the historic west coast race and moved the final two rounds to The Strip. Pawuk and Davies will square off in one semifinal and Stephen Bell will have a bye run into the final. The final two rounds of the Winternationals will be run on Saturday in conjunction with the final two rounds of Las Vegas qualifying.
“This is my first chance to double up and I am really looking forward to this weekend in Las Vegas,” said Pawuk, the points leader and driver of the Empaco Dodge Drag Pak. “I would love to keep my win streak going with two wins in Las Vegas, but it will be tough. David and Stephen are great competitors and great guys. I appreciate Flexjet sponsoring the series and I know David will give me a great race in the semis. I still have the Flexjet bounty, so I want to hold onto that for a few more races. This race will be interesting because this is an altitude race. Everyone will have to have a new engine combination so it will be interesting.”
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Xtreme Outlaw Midgets Debut at Farmer City for Illini 100
| CONCORD, NC (April 9, 2024) – The April racing schedule for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota continues with a visit to another track brand-new to the Series – Farmer City Raceway for the annual Illini 100. Standing as one of the most prestigious dirt track racing events in the state of Illinois, the Illini 100 has traditionally been billed as a Super Late Model and DIRTcar UMP Modified event. But in 2024, the event welcomes Midget racing to the card for the first time, joining the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series and the MARS Modified Championship. The stars of Midget racing’s newest national tour take on the 1/4-mile bullring for back-to-back nights of racing this Friday and Saturday, April 12-13. Preceded by an evening of practice on Thursday, April 11, Friday’s program kicks off the racing action with a 25-lap, $4,000-to-win main event, leading up to a 30-lap, $5,000-to-win finale on Saturday. Both nights will be sanctioned in conjunction with the POWRi National Midget League, marking Rounds 1-2 of competition in the Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series. This 10-race miniseries awards a $2,500 check to the driver with the most points accumulated after all events are complete in addition to checks for each of the drivers in the top-five of final points. Tickets for this weekend’s events are on sale in advance for $5 off at the links below and will also be on sale at the gate on race day. If you can’t be there to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision. BUY FRIDAY TICKETSBUY SATURDAY TICKETS Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend: HOT STREAK – Through the first four races of 2024, no driver owns more top-five finishes than the current Series points leader, Cannon McIntosh. The 21-year-old has not finished outside of the top five yet and boasts the win in the season-opening weekend in Du Quoin last month. He led laps in both Features last weekend at US 36 Raceway and Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex en route to his second pair of top-five finishes, boosting his lead in the points standings to 47 over Keith Kunz Motorsports teammate Ryan Timms. Farmer City will be a track brand-new to McIntosh this weekend. The 1/4-mile bullring has never hosted a national Midget series event, and the young Oklahoma racer will be among the favorites to become its first winner. BOUNCE BACK – Zach Daum has climbed back from large points deficits before and now prepares to do it again after a weekend gone bad in Missouri. A sixth-place finish last Friday at US 36 kept him in the thick of the battle for the points lead but internal mechanical failure struck him early in the program Saturday at Sweet Springs, taking him out of competition and leaving him with his first DNS of the season. That cost him almost 200 points in the standings as he fell from 16 points out of the lead in second-place, down to eighth-place where he now sits 215 points behind McIntosh. Despite his misfortune, the 32-year-old returns to racing in his home state of Illinois this weekend with a fresh power plant inside the Trifecta Motorsports No. 7U. While he starts a climb back in the Xtreme Outlaw standings, he’ll start fresh with the first race of the Challenge Series with POWRi, of which he was the champion in 2023. SHARK’S TANK – Karter Sarff is back on the Xtreme Outlaw Series roster for the third weekend in-a-row as he prepares to take on one of his home-state tracks at Farmer City. Sarff, 21, of Mason City, IL, has made his presence felt early this season, knocking off the Series regulars last Friday at US 36 for his third career Xtreme Outlaw win. He followed that up with an eighth-place effort the next night at Sweet Springs, vaulting him up to fourth in the points standings. Fitting for the first race of the 2024 Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series, Sarff enters Farmer City representing the POWRi side its defending national champion – an honor he clinched in the final race of the season last October. CHAMP RETURNS – Jade Avedisian returns to the Xtreme Outlaw Series roster this weekend after spending a week on the asphalt in Sonoma, CA, for the opening round of the Toyota GR Cup. The reigning Series champion from Clovis, CA, will return to the Keith Kunz Motorsports stable for both races in Farmer City following finishes of 14th and fourth in the season opener in Du Quoin last month. Like most others in the field, Avedisian does not have any laps in a Midget at Farmer City but has been strong on the banked bullrings in the past with wins at Jacksonville Speedway, Southern Illinois Raceway and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. BACK IN THE SADDLE – Gavin Miller has healed from surgery and has been cleared to compete this weekend, returning to the seat of the KKM LynK/Toyota No. 97 after missing the past two races. Miller, 17, of Allentown, PA, posted finishes of second and 11th in the season opener last month and sat fourth in points – a great start for the championship hopeful. However, a crash in a Micro Sprint event in California two weeks later took him out of action due to an injury suffered in the incident and put teammate Kale Drake in the seat of his No. 97 for races at US 36 and Sweet Springs. Drake, 18, of Collinsville, OK, took the opportunity and ran with it, bagging a Heat win and a seventh-place result in the Feature at US 36 before scoring his first national Midget series win with a last-lap pass on teammate Taylor Reimer the next night at Sweet Springs. While Miller reassumes his normal driving duties in the No. 97, Drake has earned the right for more seat time and will also pilot a KKM car of his own at Farmer City, making seven total KKM cars on the roster this weekend – comprised of himself, Ryan Timms, Cannon McIntosh, Luke Drotschie, Ashton Torgerson, Jade Avedisian, and Gavin Miller. THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE When and where Friday-Saturday, April 12-13 at Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, IL On the internet Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota Twitter – @Xtreme_Outlaw Instagram – @XtremeOutlaw Facebook – @XtremeOutlawSeries.WRG Live broadcast DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com. Annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month. Current championship points standings (view full standings)Cannon McIntosh: 872 points (Keith Kunz Motorsports #71K)Ryan Timms: -47 points (Keith Kunz Motorsports #67)Chase McDermand: -59 points (CMR-Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40)Karter Sarff: -82 points (Karter Sarff Motorsports #21K)Taylor Reimer: -90 points (Keith Kunz Motorsports #25K)Ashton Torgerson: -163 points (Keith Kunz Motorsports #67K)Hayden Reinbold: -180 points (Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19AZ)Zach Daum: -215 points (Trifecta Motorsports #7U)TJ Smith: -239 points (Mounce/Stout Motorsports #14S)Trevor Cline: -257 points (Cline Racing #55) Toyota Feature winners (4 drivers) 1 win – Thomas Meseraull (Engler Racing), Cannon McIntosh (Keith Kunz Motorsports), Karter Sarff (Karter Sarff Motorsports #21K), Kale Drake (Keith Kunz Motorsports #97) Toyota Feature laps led (4 drivers) 36 laps – Cannon McIntosh 35 laps – Joe B. Miller27 laps – Thomas Meseraull12 laps – Taylor Reimer 11 laps – Karter Sarff4 laps – Tyler Edwards1 lap – Kale Drake Whitz RC Racing Products Quick Time Awards (2 drivers) 3 awards – Ethan Mitchell 1 award – Cannon McIntosh Heat Race winners (16 drivers) 2 wins – Tyler Edwards, Chase McDermand1 win – Ryan Timms, Thomas Meseraull, Shane Cottle, Gavin Miller, TJ Smith, Cannon McIntosh, Jade Avedisian, Nick Hoffman, Ashton Torgerson, Kale Drake, Zach Daum, Karter Sarff, Kyle Jones, Taylor Reimer High-points honors (4 drivers) 1 honor – Cannon McIntosh, Tyler Edwards, Chase McDermand, Karter Sarff Last Chance Showdown wins (6 drivers) 1 win – Taylor Reimer, Gunnar Setser, Austin Torgerson, Gavin Miller, Shane Cottle, Ethan Mitchell DIRTVision Hard Charger Awards (4 drivers) 1 award – Will Armitage, Ryan Timms, Ryan Timms, Hayden Reinbold Podium finishes (9 drivers) 2 podiums – Zach Daum, Ryan Timms, Cannon McIntosh 1 podium – Thomas Meseraull, Gavin Miller, Kale Drake, Taylor Reimer, Karter Sarf, Chase McDermand Top-10 finishes (23 drivers) 4 top-10s – Cannon McIntosh, Chase McDermand 3 top-10s – Zach Daum 2 top-10s – Shane Cottle, Ryan Timms, Karter Sarff, Taylor Reimer, Kale Drake, Ashton Torgerson 1 top-10 – Gavin Miller, Joe B. Miller, Thomas Meseraull, Jade Avedisian, Will Armitage, Mitchell Davis, Trey Marcham, Rylan Gray, Hayden Reinbold, TJ Smith, Ethan Mitchell, Gunnar Setser, Todd McVay, Kyle Jones 2024 Schedule & Winners – Race No. Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins) 1. Fri, March 15 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Thomas Meseraull (1) 2. Sat, March 16 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Cannon McIntosh (1)3. Fri, April 5 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Karter Sarff (1) 4. Sat, April 6 / Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex / Sweet Springs, MO / Kale Drake (1) |
Federated Auto Parts Becomes Title Sponsor of Five Additional 2024 World of Outlaws Events
CONCORD, NC (April 9, 2024) – Federated Auto Parts will have a prominent presence throughout the 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season, sponsoring five events across five states.
The premier auto parts company will be the title sponsor for the events at Lincoln Speedway (May 8), Wilmot Raceway (July 12-13), Merced Speedway (Sept. 14), Sharon Speedway (Sept. 28) and Dirt Oval 66 (Oct. 18-19).
This is in addition to its continued sponsorship of Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, which hosts the World of Outlaws in April and in August for the prestigious Ironman 55. The two-day Ironman event (Aug. 2-3), has become a marquee stop on the World of Outlaws tour, boasting large paydays and some of the most exciting racing all year around the 1/3-mile bullring.
With that, their sponsorship spans across the country, reaching fans in California, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. And in February, Federated Auto Parts was title sponsor of DIRTcar Nationals in Florida for the second straight year.
“We’re excited to continue our support of the World of Outlaws and dirt racing by reaching fan across the country at some of the World of Outlaws’ biggest events this year,” said J.R. Bishop, director of event marketing & member services for Federated Auto Parts. “We share the World of Outlaws’ passion for creating a healthy and thriving dirt racing community, and by having Federated Auto Parts’ branding on these events, it is a perfect way to support that cause while introducing new fans to the company.”
Federated Auto Parts joined the World of Outlaws in 2023, becoming the title sponsor of the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals and several other events throughout the year. Their iconic orange and blue colors will also be on Logan Schuchart’s No. 1S Shark Racing Sprint Car throughout the season.
For tickets to the Federated Auto Parts sponsored events, visit WorldofOutlaws.com/tix.
Farmer City Raceway Back to Host World of Outlaws’ Illini 100 For First Time Since 2021
Drivers prepare to get back in the saddle ahead of Farmer City Raceway’s Illini 100 weekend – April 11-13
FARMER CITY, IL (April 9, 2024) – The 56-day wait for World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Models racing concludes with the first Midwest visit to Farmer City Raceway for the Illini 100, April 12-13.
The newest test for the top dirt Late Model drivers begins with a practice night on Thursday, April 11, allowing drivers to get ready behind the wheel before the two days of high-octane competition commences.
The Series will race 100 laps over the two days, making up the bullring battle. Friday, April 12, has the Outlaws chasing $10,000-to-win in a 40-lap Feature. Then, Saturday’s finale has drivers going 60 laps for a $20,000 top prize.
The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota and MARS Modifieds join the Late Models both days for an epic weekend of racing.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models race on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision app.
For Tickets: CLICK HERE
Here are the top storylines to look out for this weekend:
Home of Champions – All four Illinois drivers racing for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models title in 2024 have parked their cars in Victory Lane at Farmer City. However, two are chasing their first Illini 100 triumph.
New Berlin, IL driver Brandon Sheppard shares a tie with Billy Moyer for most Illini 100 victories – capturing three in total (2015, 2017, and 2019). The four-time Series champion looks to break the record in his #B5 Longhorn Factory Team machine.
Reigning Series champion Bobby Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, has won the last two Series race at Farmer City and will be on the hunt for his second Illini 100 victory. The Illinois facility was also the sight of his first Series win in 2021.
Though he’s never won the Illini 100 finale, Chatham, IL’s Brian Shirley has two wins with the World of Outlaws at Farmer City – winning two preliminary Feature races in 2017 and 2019. The five-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion last won at the track with the Hell Tour in 2023.
Carpentersville, IL native Dennis Erb Jr hopes to cross the Illini 100 off his list of races to win this season. The 2022 Series champion has recorded four wins at his home state track, with two wins shared by the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and Northern Allstar Late Model Series.
Smokey Seconds – After two consecutive second-place finishes in the last two World of Outlaws events, Chris Madden, of Gray Court, SC, will be eager to end that streak with his first Farmer City Raceway victory.
However, with those second-place finishes, and having finished inside the top 10 in all four Series races, so far, this year, Madden currently sits second in points – eight points behind Brandon Sheppard.
To add, “Smokey” has not finished outside of the top 10 with the Series in the last 18 races (250 days) – looking to extend the streak in the “Land of Lincoln.”
Thrilling Beginnings – While Nick Hoffman and Cade Dillard share a “thrill” in their nicknames, the two drivers each recorded their best career starts with the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models in 2024.
Hoffman – from Mooresville, NC, won the first night with the Series at DIRTcar Nationals on a last-lap pass around Madden with a send through Turn 4. The win helped catapult the “Thrill from Mooresville” to fifth in the standings.
Dillard, from Robeline, LA, recorded a string of four consecutive top-10 finishes in all Series races, placing “The Thriller” third in points – his career-best start to the season.
Xtreme Combo – Joining the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models is the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota in their first visit to Farmer City Raceway.
The Illini 100 hosts the sixth and seventh meeting between the two Series’ – with the last meeting happening at Davenport Speedway in 2023.
There, Pierce won the first two and Sheppard won the finale, while Gavin Miller and 2022 Xtreme Outlaw Series champion Zach Daum grabbed Feature wins.
WHEN AND WHERE
Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, IL
ABOUT THE TRACK
Farmer City Raceway is a 1/4-mile bullring dirt oval
TRACK RECORD
Farmer City Raceway – 11.750 by Brandon Sheppard on 4/5/19
ONLINE
Farmer City Raceway: https://www.farmercityracing.com/
ON THE INTERNET
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series
X – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries
YouTube – YouTube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month
AROUND THE TURN
The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models head to Thunderhill Raceway on Thursday, April 18, then to Talladega Short Track for two days of racing, April 19-20.
FEATURE WINNERS: (3 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 2
- Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
- Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
HEAT RACE WINNERS (12 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 3
- 1. Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 3
- Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 3
- Dale McDowell – Chickamauga, GA – 2
- Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 2
- Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 2
- Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 2
- Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
- Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 1
- Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 1
- Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
- Garrett Smith – Eatonton, GA – 1
LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (6 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins
- Dustin Sorensen – Rochester, MN – 2
- Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 2
- Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 2
- Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – 1
- Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 1
- Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
- Chase Junghans – Manhattan, KS – 1
- Boom Briggs – Bear Lake, PA – 1
PODIUM FINISHES (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver – Hometown – Podiums
- Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 3
- Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 2
- Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 1
- Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
- Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
- Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1
- Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 1
- Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1
FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (3 Drivers)
Rank – Driver – Hometown – H.C.
- Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 2
- Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1
- Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 1
SIMPSON RACING PRODUCTS QUICK TIMES (3 Drivers)
Rank – Driver – Hometown – QTs
- Bobby Pierce – Oakwood, IL – 2
- Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 1
- Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1
CASE FEATURE LAP LEADERS (7 Drivers)
Rank – Driver – Hometown – Laps Led
- Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 47
- Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 29
- Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 16
- Ricky Thornton Jr – Martinsville, IN – 16
- Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 15
- Cade Dillard – Robeline, LA – 14
- Ethan Dotson – Bakersfield, CA – 6
- Nick Hoffman – Mooresville, NC – 1
2024 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule
- Friday, Jan. 19/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Devin Moran
- Saturday, Jan. 20/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Hudson O’Neal
- Thursday, Feb. 15 /Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Nick Hoffman
- Friday, Jan. 19/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Devin Moran (2)
Dominic Scelzi Continues Marching Forward During World of Outlaws Features
Inside Line Promotions – COLCORD, Okla. (April 9, 2024) – Dominic Scelzi officially passed a combined 14 cars during a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader last weekend.
Scelzi gained seven positions – tied for the fifth most – before finishing 16 th on Friday at U.S. 36 Raceway and he hustled forward another seven positions – the second most – on Saturday at Arrowhead Speedway, where he placed 12th.
“Qualifying continues to be the thing that buries us,” he said. “If we could just start in the first six rows I think we could race our way into the top five. Honestly, car-wise I don’t think we’ve been better. If we could get ourselves to qualify better and start further forward I feel confident about running up front.”
Scelzi opened Friday’s Wildcat Showdown at the high-banked dirt oval near Osborn, Mo., by qualifying 13 thquickest in his group. He gained a spot in a heat race to end sixth and picked up a position for a third-place showing in the Last Chance Showdown to garner a transfer into the back of the A Main. The night concluded with Scelzi maneuvering forward more than a half-dozen positions.
“For whatever reason I had to drive it different on the gas pedal because I couldn’t get the RPMs,” he said. “When I was in the grip I was bogging down. It’d almost make me tight because I couldn’t get the tires spinning. I felt like I had a Knoxville gear in it. We found a couple of things on Saturday that helped.”
Scelzi timed in 23 rd overall on Saturday to kick off the Jason Johnson Classic. He advanced from sixth to fifth place in a heat race before the solid performance in the main event on a track that took rubber, which made passing at a premium as the race went on.
“In the main event if it doesn’t lay rubber or we got a few more laps I think we’re running into the top 10,” he said. “We were really, really good. Before it laid rubber I could pound the fence, run the bottom or drive through the middle. Once the rubber came in we still could get by guys. I felt a lot better in the car.”
A change of scenery will take place this week when Scelzi will make his first start of the season in his home state of California on Saturday when he’ll drive a car for Morrie Williams Motorsports during the Peter Murphy Classic at Kings Speedway in Hanford.
QUICK RESULTS –
April 5 – U.S. 36 Raceway near Osborn, Mo. – Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 6 (7); B Main: 3 (4); Feature: 16 (23).
April 6 – Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Okla. – Qualifying: 23; Heat race: 5 (6); Feature: 12 (19).
SEASON STATS –
12 races, 0 wins, 2 top fives, 2 top 10s, 10 top 15s, 12 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., for the Peter Murphy Classic with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.
Drag Race Bracket Bonanza Announces Summit Racing Equipment as First Prize Donor
| DALLAS, TX (April 9, 2024) — Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans, is excited to announce Summit Racing Equipment as the first prize donor for the 2024 season. DRBB will award Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates to players in The Four-Wide Cup Series, The Majors Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, the U.S. Nationals, and the Overall Season Series. Additionally, DRBB will conduct random drawings and social media giveaways for other players throughout the season to receive gift certificates. Altogether, DRBB and Summit Racing Equipment will reward over 100 players with gift certificates throughout the 2024 season. “I am thrilled to have Summit Racing Equipment step up and offer gift certificates to our players throughout the season,” said Elon Werner, Drag Race Bracket Bonanza creator. “The enthusiasm the thousands of players have shown for DRBB is awesome and I am so happy we can now give them a little something extra for their bracket picking efforts. Summit Racing Equipment is more than race car parts and I am so happy fans will get the chance to shop with one of the coolest companies supporting racers on and off the track.” The top four overall finishers in the Four-Wide Challenge (Las Vegas and Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals) will each receive $50 Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates in addition to a special Four-Wide Cup trophy. The next overall finishers in 8th, 12th, 16th, 20th, 24th, 28th, 32nd, 36th, and 40th place will receive special DRBB achievement certificates and $50 Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates.  During the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio, the Drag Race Bracket Bonanza website and fan emails will include Summit Racing Equipment branding, logos and weblinks. Summit Racing Equipment will also offer additional prize packages to be announced at a future date for DRBB players and winners. The top three finishers in the overall standings will receive gift certificates totaling $150, $50 and $50, respectively, with the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle class winners each receiving Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates totaling $50, $25, and $25, respectively. “Seeing the immediate popularity and fan engagement with Drag Race Bracket Bonanza caught my eye last year and when the opportunity was presented for Summit Racing Equipment to get involved with the fans, it just made sense,” said Jim Greenleaf, Summit Racing Motorsports and Events Manager. “We wanted to support as many elements as possible with an emphasis around our NHRA national event in Norwalk, of course, but we are looking forward to seeing a lot of winners receive and use Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates all season.” At the conclusion of The Majors Series, a series comprised of the point totals from the Gatornationals, the Winternationals and the U.S. Nationals, the overall top fifteen finishers in points will each receive $50 Summit Racing Equipment gift certificates and the top five finishers will also receive a one-of-a-kind The Majors trophy designed by Katie Buttera (@applegirlart). During the U.S. Nationals Summit Racing Equipment will be awarding $50 gift certificates each to the top five finishers for overall and $25 gift certificates each to the top five in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Finally, at the conclusion of the 2024 Drag Race Bracket Bonanza season the top twenty overall finishers will each receive $25 gift certificates. A complete list of the Summit Racing Equipment prize breakdowns can be found at www.dragracebracketbonanza.com in the Help section. About Drag Race Bracket Bonanza Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans. Launched during the 2023 U.S. Nationals and continuing throughout the 2023 Countdown, fans could fill out brackets for all four professional categories at the conclusion of professional qualifying. Revamped for the 2024 season DRBB added league play, text notifications and a robust stats package to make playing even easier for fans. Developed and owned by Werner Communications, Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is the first fan-centric offering from the Dallas-based public relations and media services company. |
Jim Dunn Racing and Buddy Hull Roll Out KGC Funny Car for Vegas
Long Beach, CA (April 9, 2024) — Rolling into The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals Jim Dunn Racing and driver Buddy Hull will be looking for their first win of the season this weekend with the new-look Kindness General Contractors known as KGC Dodge Charger Funny Car. In addition to the new primary sponsor the team will be promoting local companies, Gilley’s, Treasure Island and Primal Steakhouse as it continues to battle in one of the toughest Funny Car fields in recent memory. Kindness General Contractors has been a long-time supporter of Jim Dunn Racing and the team is looking forward to representing them at one of the most unique races of the season.
“One of the amazing things about NHRA drag racing is the relationships you make and KGC has been with us for a number of years,” said Jon Dunn. “We have done some specialty cars with them to support and recognize veterans and they are just a great company to be associated with. This weekend we are looking to keep moving in the right direction and hopefully go some rounds with the KGC Funny Car.”
Kindness General Contractors, LLC, also known as KGC, LLC, is a full service general contracting firm designed to manage and facilitate a complete range of construction projects. As a full service general contracting firm they design, manage, and facilitate a complete range of construction projects. They are responsible for a diversified portfolio of projects with a wide range of construction value. Their client industries include aerospace, commercial buildings, industrial facilities, educational facilities, high-tech and food service.
Local companies are also stepping up to support Jim Dunn Racing and Funny Car driver Buddy Hull. Primal Steakhouse will return along with Gilley’s and Treasure Island to be featured on Hull’s 12,0000 horse-powered nitro Funny Car. The local interaction with businesses is something that is important to Hull and Jim Dunn Racing.
“We have major sponsors like KGC but it is also important in every market to open our sport and its thousands of fans to local companies,” said Hull. “We have a lot of loyal fans and we definitely want them enjoying the nightlife at Gilley’s or getting a great meal at Primal Steakhouse when they are in town for the race.”
The KGC Funny Car will make two qualifying runs on Friday and two on Saturday with Sunday’s final elimination pitting the 16 quickest Funny Cars against one another in an exciting four-wide competition. For more information on tickets or schedule visit www.nhra.com.
PETER MURPHY CLASSIC AWAITS NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES ON SATURDAY
(4/8/24 – Ben Deatherage) Hanford, California … A crown jewel of the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series schedule, the Peter Murphy Classic is on tap Saturday, April 13th, at Kings Speedway. The winner of the main event will collect a whopping $11,000 paycheck and etch their name on the prestigious winner’s list of this famed event.
The race pays homage to Kings Speedway promotor and longtime NARC competitor Peter Murphy. One of this events special features is a unique “pole shuffle” where two cars at a time will razzle and dazzle on the 3/8-mile clay oval to decide the main event’s starting lineup of the front of the field. It is always a fan-pleaser.
“I’m super excited to have this event come back to Kings,” commented Murphy, a transplanted Australian and open wheel racing enthusiast. “Last year’s pole shuffle was breathtakingly amazing, and the main event was a cracker, too, so come on out and bring a friend because Hanford is the place to be on Saturday night!”
This will be the third round of the highly competitive 65th anniversary season of the NARC tour and the second five-digit payday for the main event winner.
The companion division for the evening is the IMCA Stock Cars.
Who to Watch
Dominic Scelzi is looking to continue to reign supreme of the PMC. The Fresno driver has been on the road battling it out with the High Limit and World of Outlaw tour and is looking to come back to his native California and hit pay dirt. The 2021 and 2022 NARC champion is the three-time defending winner of the Peter Murphy Classic.
NARC point leader Cole Macedo wants to take the $11,000 winner’s check to the Tarlton Motorsports #21 shop. The Lemoore sensation bagged a $10,000 payday at the Mini Gold Cup in March and backed it up at the Stockton Dirt Track’s Asparagus Cup last Saturday. Macedo has three top five finishes at Kings when NARC has been to town and was runner-up in the second main event of the Morrie Williams Memorial.
Last October, Justin Sanders finally broke into victory lane at Hanford when he won the opening main event of the Morrie Williams Memorial. Once again piloting the Mittry Motorsports #2X, the Aromas driver has five podium finishes at the 3/8-mile oval and was fourth at last year’s Classic.
The last time NARC was on hand at Hanford, hometown driver D.J. Netto beat out the competition in the final feature of the Morrie Williams Memorial to score a big win for the team. Undoubtedly, the 2019 NARC champion is hungry to add the Peter Murphy Classic to his already decorated resume.
Eighteen-year-old Dylan Bloomfield is a rising star in the NARC 410 Sprint Series. The Oakley driver has twice finished the Vertullo Racing #83V entry among the Top 10 at Kings and is looking to be among the podium finishers on Saturday night. He was 14th last year.
Campbell’s Bud Kaeding is looking to build off a top five finish last fall at Hanford. The 2017 NARC champ was fourth in the final race at King’s in October 2023 and scored a victory at the facility on June 2nd, 2012. He was among the Top 10 at the 2022 Peter Murphy Classic when he posted a ninth-place result.
Justyn Cox has been very close to conquering Kings twice. The Roseville racer was runner-up in the first feature of the Morrie Williams Memorial last October and did the same thing the previous year but in the second main event. Will the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X slay the competition at the PMC?
The large 2024 rookie class will also be on hand, including Caeden Steele from Easton, Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Chico chauffeur Michael Ing, and Dominic Gorden of Clovis.
Other teams looking for victory lane include Chase Johnson of Penngrove, Nick Parker from Chico, Benicia veteran Billy Aton, and Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares. Some other notables to look forward to are Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Hanford driver Michael Faccinto bout the F&F Racing #X1, and Templeton pilot Kaleb Montgomery.
Fan & Competitor Info
Kings Speedway is located at the San Joaquin County Fairground at 1658 S Airport Way in Stockton, California. Tickets are $30.00 for Adults, Juniors (5-17)/Seniors (65+)/Military (with ID) $25.00, Kids (6-10) $5.00, and 4 and Under are FREE.
The Pit Gates will open at 1:00 PM and the Front Gates at 4:00. Hot Laps will begin at 5:00, and racing will begin at 6:00.
Additional information can be found at www.racekingsspeedway.com.
The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, an exciting pole shuffle, a 12-lap last chance race, and a 30-lap main event.
The NARC 410 Sprint Series is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, it has enthralled countless thousands of fans from tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit its website at www.narc410.comThe NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires and Floracing.com. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, Diversified Machine Inc., Jim Allen Promotions, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Enterprises, Lifeline LLC, Maxim Racing Products, Mettec Titanium, Pyrotect, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Scelzi Enterprises, SCI Racing Products, Starr Property Management, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Williams Roofing, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.
NARC 410 SPRINT CARS SERIES
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER TWO EVENTS IN 24-RACE SERIES – 4/8/24)
- Cole Macedo, Lemoore – 285
- Tanner Carrick, Lincoln – 273
- Caeden Steele, Fresno (R) – 271
- Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 270
- Nick Parker, Chico – 269
- Justin Sanders, Aromas – 267
- Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 266
- Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 265
- Sean Becker, Roseville – 264
- Gauge Garcia, Lemoore (R) – 262
- Shane Golobic, Fremont – 258
- Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton – 253
- DJ Netto, Hanford – 252
- Justyn Cox, Clarksburg – 249
- Jarrett Soares, Gilroy – 244
- Billy Aton, Benicia – 242
- Ashlyn Rodriguez, Wilton – 241
- Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 240
- Michael Faccinto, Hanford – 233
- Dominic Gorden, Clovis – 231
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 27 – Stockton Dirt Track – Salute to NARC champ Leroy Van Conett
May 4 – Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare) – Chris & Brian Faria Memorial
May 11 – Antioch Speedway – Contra Costa County Clash
May 18 – Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare) – KRC Night at the Races
June 1 – Placerville Speedway – Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial
A CONFIDENT DYSON AIMS FOR SEASON’S FIRST TRANS AM WIN AT NEW ORLEANS
| POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 8, 2024) – Excellent results in pre-season testing with his #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang at New Orleans’ NOLA Motorsports Park has three-time defending Trans Am by Pirelli series champion and 2023 NOLA race winner Chris Dyson feeling good about his prospects for a second straight win at the Louisiana road circuit. “We had some misfortune at the first two races this year – just bad luck – but I expect this will be a good weekend for us,” said Dyson. “We made real progress over the winter developing our new chassis, including a very successful test at NOLA. The car is fast for a single lap and it’s fast for a long run without using up the tires. I can’t wait to get back in the saddle.” If not for bad racing luck, Dyson might well be looking for his third straight win of the season rather than his first. A crash in the first turn while contesting the lead ended his race in the season-opener at Sebring, which left him 46 points behind race winner Paul Menard. Holding a comfortable lead in the season’s second race, at Road Atlanta, Dyson spun off the track on freshly fallen oil, returning in last place in the headline TA class. An epic charge left Dyson just 0.159 seconds behind race winner Adam Andretti at the checkered flag. While Dyson was disappointed to not win, his runner-up finish – without the benefit of further caution periods – narrowed his point gap to 17 behind current championship leader Menard, who experienced mechanical problems and finished 8th at Road Atlanta. “NOLA is a really demanding circuit, physically and technically,” Dyson said. “Last year’s race was our first look at the place, and since then we’ve tested there. But even though it is all more familiar now, the characteristics are the same. There’s absolutely no let-up where you get any kind of break. And then you layer in the track surface and how bumpy it is in the high speed esses, you’re in a fight the whole lap.” Menard and Andretti, currently third in the points standings, join former series champions Tomy Drissi and Amy Ruman as Dyson’s primary competition this weekend and for the series championship. “The way points are awarded in Trans Am there’s a bonus not just for winning the race, but also for the pole and leading the most laps,” Dyson said. “But there’s effectively a substantial penalty for a bad finish, like we had at Sebring. Fighting back to a strong finish at Road Atlanta was really important for our campaign for a fourth consecutive championship. Over the course of the season consistency is critical. I am optimistic that we will stay at the sharp end and be in the mix at all the remaining rounds. But we have to capitalize on all the opportunities we get from now on to put some results on the board. This title race has really just begun.” Click here for more on Chris Dyson Racing. NOLA Schedule Qualifying takes place Friday, April 12, 2:50 PM – 3:05 PM (3:50 PM – 4:05 PM, ET) The 100-mile race takes the green flag Saturday, April 13, at 1:10 PM, CT (2:10 PM, ET) Broadcast Schedule The race will be live-streamed on both the Trans Am and SpeedTour’s YouTube channels. Additional Broadcast Coverage On MAVTV In addition to the livestream, highlights of the race will be broadcast the following Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET to MAVTV’s 22 million North American linear households and 175 million connected devices. |
AUSTIN PROCK JOINS JOHN FORCE IN COLLECTING NHRA WINS THIS WEEKEND AT PHOENIX
Prock earned his first win as a Funny Car driver in just his third start in the class |
| CHANDLER, Arizona (April 7, 2024) – John Force Racing driver Austin Prock proved Sunday that he is unquestionably a quick learner. In just his third career NHRA start in a Funny Car, the Lansing, Mich., native recorded his first win in that class, earning top honors in the 39th annual Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. Prock (3.952 seconds/320.74 mph) defeated Alexis DeJoria (4.049 seconds/316.90 mph) in the final round. “This is huge,” Prock said. “All you want to do is to make your parents proud. It was a big win for Chevrolet and a double-up for John Force Racing. We’re rolling out of here with some gold, baby. WOOOOOH!” Cheered on by a second straight sold-out crowd in as many days, Prock joined team owner John Force in leaving Phoenix with a Wally winner’s trophy. Force won the final round of Saturday’s weather-postponed Winternationals, which was rained out two weeks ago at Pomona, Calif., and rescheduled for this weekend at Phoenix. Getting back to Prock, the first-year Funny Car driver is piloting the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car this season, replacing three-time champion Robert Hight, who stepped out of the car prior to the start of this season to deal with a medical situation. Hight drove to victory in the last two editions of the Arizona Nationals in 2022 and 2023, and now Prock has made it three triumphs in a row. It was the first time Prock has won with his father, Jimmy, as his crew chief, and Austin’s brother, Thomas, as assistant crew chief. Jimmy and Thomas held those same roles the last several years with Hight behind the wheel. Austin Prock becomes the 19th driver in NHRA history to win national events in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. And he was also a quick learner when he first started driving a Top Fuel dragster: it only took him 16 races to earn his first win in that class, as well. “To get my first Funny Car win and enter a league of its own with the Don Prudhomme’s, the Shawn Langdon’s, the J.R. Todd’s, the Kenny Bernstein’s, all these people that are legends and future Hall of Famers, it’s pretty cool to be a part of that small group,” Prock said. “To do it with my family makes it even more special.” Prock won a non-NHRA exhibition race in his first-ever start in a Funny Car at Bradenton, Fla., back in February. He also captured four wins in NHRA competition during his stint as a full-time Top Fuel driver for John Force Racing between 2019 and 2023. “This thing is just bad fast and I’m hanging on and trying to learn as fast as I can,” Prock said. “It’s definitely been a crash course, but I’m doing the best I can. That’s all you can ask.” It was Prock’s second time in the final round in the first three NHRA national events this season. He finished runner-up to J.R. Todd in the season-opening race at Gainesville, Fla. After earning No. 1 qualifier in Funny Car for the second time in the season’s first three races, Prock (4.398 seconds/277.83 mph) defeated Buddy Hull in Sunday’s first round. In the second round, Prock again won (4.053 seconds/280.54 mph), but had a scare before escaping unscathed. In that quarterfinal matchup with Dan Wilkerson, Prock struggled with the handling of his car. Prock’s car just barely missed grazing the outside retaining wall, which would have resulted in a disqualification. However, NHRA officials determined that while Prock’s car did blow down a sign attached to the wall due to exhaust coming from the header pipes on his car, there was no damage or wall scrapes done to his car. Then came Prock’s semifinal match with Todd, who defeated team owner and patriarch John Force in their previous quarterfinal matchup. Prock kept his momentum going by winning (3.999 seconds/315.34 mph), getting some revenge on Todd for his win over Prock in Gainesville. Prock’s victory salvaged the day’s hopes for John Force Racing and set up his bid for a first Funny Car “Wally” winner’s trophy. This weekend was also the second time the 29-year-old Prock qualified No. 1 in the first three events of 2024, the previous time also being in the season-opener at Gainesville. Sunday’s win was a big boost to his confidence. If he gets on a roll, there’s no telling what his potential could be. “If you don’t believe in yourself, you shouldn’t be here,” said Prock, who leaves Phoenix in second place in the standings, just two points behind Todd. “This is a very competitive class, and if you don’t believe in yourself, you’re not going to be competitive. You’ve got to walk around here believing you can do it, walk with your chin up, take your punches, and try and swing some back. “That’s all I’ve been doing. I’ve just been trying to be a sponge. The tough thing about drag racing is you don’t get another lap to fix it. You go up there, and you’ve got to be perfect. If you make a mistake, you’ve got to sit around for three hours or more, and then go up there and make sure you don’t make it again. “That’s what makes drag racing so tough. I’ve just been focused. I’ve got the best people in my corner. We’ve got the best sponsors, and the best parts and pieces. I’m just trying not to mess it up essentially. It’s working. I’ve been able to showcase my talent in a really tough field in a tough car.” ********************* As for team owner John Force, he was still basking in the glow of his win on Saturday, his first triumph in nearly two years, but more importantly, the 156thvictory of his legendary career. He was as happy about Prock’s win on Sunday as he was about his own victory one day earlier. “It was a fantastic weekend for Cornwell Tools and Chevrolet, clinching a victory like that, especially with Prock landing his first NHRA Funny Car win,” Force said. “It’s a big deal. We had to navigate through some changes, with Robert Hight, a three-time champion, stepping back for a bit. But everything’s aligning well for John Force Racing.” Force, who turns 75 years old on May 4, won Saturday’s rain-delayed and rescheduled Winternationals, which was moved from Pomona, Calif., to Arizona after its final round was rained out two weeks ago. It also was Force’s first win in nearly two years, his last triumph coming May 1, 2022 at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, N.C. “Clinching the victory in Phoenix yesterday was thrilling,” said Force, the driver of the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car. “It’s still early in the season, but this win sets a positive tone we’re all proud of. Yet, we’re mindful of the fierce competition out there; we’ve got our work cut out for us. But still, it sure was a great weekend for John Force Racing.” Force hoped to pull off another win on Sunday, but those hopes came to a premature end. Force came into Sunday’s Arizona Nationals eliminations hoping to make it two wins in a row. He started strong, rolling to the win (3.991 seconds/276.41 mph) in his first round match-up with Jim Campbell. But Force’s quarterfinal match with J.R. Todd didn’t go the way the 16-time NHRA Funny Car champ hoped for, as Todd defeated Force (4.036 seconds/317.64 mph), ending Force’s hope of winning two races on the same weekend. With his win from Saturday, Force leaves Phoenix third in the NHRA Funny Car points standings, as the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series series moves on to the next national event in Las Vegas next weekend. ************************** Despite coming into Sunday’s action having qualified No. 2 in Top Fuel, Force’s daughter, Brittany, made an early exit from eliminations in the opening first round. The younger Force (6.396 seconds/117.06 mph) lost traction and smoked the tires on her Monster Energy dragster, losing to NASCAR Hall of Famer – and Top Fuel rookie this year – Tony Stewart. “Starting off strong in Phoenix, we secured a second-place qualification and consistently made good runs,” Brittany Force said. “Unfortunately, our fortune shifted on race day when we were eliminated in the first round due to driving into smoke. “However, we’re looking forward to testing tomorrow (Monday), planning to complete four laps in the heat, which should be beneficial before heading to Las Vegas.” Force leaves Phoenix eighth in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. #2024ORCE |
HULL GIVES PROCK A RUN FOR HIS MONEY IN PHOENIX
CHANDLER, AZ (April 7, 2024) — Some race weekends serve as lessons more than others. For this year’s NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the lesson for Funny Car driver Buddy Hull is ‘it’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish.’ The driver for Jim Dunn Racing started race day from the No. 16 spot, which is a challenge that Hull is not one to stray away from. In round one, he was set to run against No. 1 qualifier and recent Funny Car standout, Austin Prock. With close reaction times, Hull was ahead of Prock at the 330-foot mark. The tide turned by the end of the race, but Hull was still proud that he didn’t give Prock an easy win. Prock would go on to win his first Funny Car national event outrunning Alexis DeJoria in the final round. Buddy Hull and USD Funny Car at NHRA Arizona Nationals, photo credit Ron Lewis Photography “We both left, and even though I didn’t see him, I heard him pedal the car two times. It’s this thing that you feel when you’re in the car, you actually feel it more than you hear it,” said Hull. “And then we struck the tires and knocked the tire off at probably 450-500 feet, somewhere in that range. Next thing, he comes by me, and I heard him pedal it one more time, and maybe even one more time after that. So when I saw him out in front of me that far, I wasn’t going to pedal it again. I’m not going to blow up our race car. There was really no chance of catching him, even though it looked like we had a chance in the beginning. When you see a car three or four car lengths in front of you, and you’re off the pedal because you smoked the tires, you have to have better judgment and know that your chances of catching him are pretty low unless he smokes the tires again too. Prock won this time, but I know we’ll get him back sometime soon.” Firebird Motorsports Park holds a lot of fond memories for Hull, who first competed at this track in the Top Fuel class. He was excited to make a return to Phoenix, when it looked like it would be off the NHRA calendar after last season. “This is one of my favorite tracks to come to. The fans here are very loyal to this racetrack,” said Hull. “And there’s so many kids out here, which I love. A couple of parents came by our pits with their kids to take their annual picture with me. We’re now three years in of taking pictures with the same kids, so it’s just the coolest. I love the idea that parents can look back at our yearly photos and literally watch their kid grow up in the process. And next year I’ll have my kid out here too, which is crazy to think about.” Another positive from the weekend was having sponsor USD out at the track experiencing a sold out crowd. And thanks to local sponsor Chompie’s, there was delicious food in the pits for the team and guests throughout the weekend. “There were all kinds of people out from USD, and we had a great time. They were thrilled with our performance in the first round, which was reassuring as the driver representing their organization that’s literally on the side of our race car,” said Hull. “It’s always a priority for me to make sure our sponsors are taken care of when they take the time to come out to the track. And it helps when the race itself delivers such a fantastic fan experience.” Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be back in competition next weekend at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 12-14 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. There will be one qualifying session on Friday, April 12 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, April 13. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals visit nhra.com. Qualifying Results Q1: 4.158 sec, 260.31 mph; Qual. 11 Q2: No run; Qual. 15 Q3: 4.954 sec, 160.92 mph; Qual. 16 Bonus Points: 0 Race Results First Round Austin Prock, Danville, Ind., Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, (.077), 4.398, 277.83 mph def. Buddy Hull, Dallas, Tex., USD Dodge Charger, (.090), 4.673, 184.80 mph Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Standings – Funny Car 1. J.R. Todd 262 2. Austin Prock 260 3. John Force 211 4. Matt Hagan 189 5. Ron Capps 170 6. Bob Tasca III 155 7. Paul Lee 146 8. Alexis DeJoria 144 9. Chad Green 140 10. Cruz Pedregon 100 11. Dan Wilkerson 120 12. Bobby Bode 109 13. Terry Haddock 95 14. Buddy Hull 93 |