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​Former NASCAR champion to attempt Indy 500

Story by Arthur Weinstein • Yesterday 12:35 PM
2422 Comments
Add Kyle Larson to the list of NASCAR stars to attempt the grueling Indy 500-Coca Cola 600 doubleheader.

Kyle Larson NASCAR© Provided by The ComebackThe Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team announced Thursday that the former NASCAR Cup Series champion will drive in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. Larson and team owner Rick Hendrick will co-own his Chevrolet and carry sponsorship from HendrickCars.com.
“I’m super excited,” Larson said (via IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com). “Competing at the Indianapolis 500 is a dream of mine and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time — since I was a child before I ever began competing in sprint cars. To do it with Arrow McLaren, and Mr. Hendrick especially, is a dream come true.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity and am really looking forward to it even though it’s still about a year-and-a-half away. I’m really looking forward to competing in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 and maybe even get a win or two that day.”
​eIt’s worth noting that Arrow McLaren SP principal stockholder Sam Schmidt mentioned last fall he was interested in bringing aboard a NASCAR driver for the Indy 500, but that driver was Kyle Busch.
Only four NASCAR drivers, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, Robby Gordon and John Andretti, have ever pulled off the Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500 doubleheader in the same day. It’s truly an amazing feat. Not only because of racing endurance but logistics, as well. To get the driver from Indianapolis to Charlotte Motor Speedway is quite the haul.
Stewart remains the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles in the same day, in 2001. Remarkably, Stewart finished sixth at Indy that day, and third at Charlotte. Busch was the last to turn the double-duty feat, in 2014.
Larson, 30, has 19 career NASCAR Cup Series victories in addition to his 2021 series title.

JUST GETTING STARTED: Adam Pierson Takes Lessons From Rookie Season Into 2023

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BY MICHELINA FRISS PHOTO CREDIT: NOAH WATTS
Pierson looks to make steady improvement in sophomore season with the Super DIRTcar Series, After a successful rookie season on the Super DIRTcar Series that included two top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes, Adam Pierson is just getting started.

The East Corinth, VT native took detailed notes on his rookie season experiences and intends to put it all to use in 2023.

“Probably the biggest thing that we learned was having to adapt to different racetrack sizes, reading each track as it goes on through the night,” Pierson said. “If you don’t have a lot of experience at a track, you don’t know what it’s going to do, so you kind of just don’t really touch your car a lot.”
Pierson started off the season slow, getting accustomed to the competition, finishing in the middle of the field. The results of his tenacity started to show during the second half of the season, finishing second during the second night of SummerFAST at Land of Legends Raceway. Five weeks later when the Series visited Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Pierson held a steady lead over the competition for the first 80 laps of the 100 lap Feature.
But it was not smooth sailing to the finish line for the rookie, as he dealt with another challenge. Another motor issue forced him to permanently exit the track on Lap 83.
“Motor issues was our weakness this year, I think,” Pierson said. “When we had a good motor running, we did well, but we lost three motors this year, one obviously at Albany (Saratoga Speedway).
After the season concluded at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Nov. 5, Pierson admittedly, “did not want to look at or touch a race car for two or three weeks.” The wear and tear of the season’s grind had worn him down, and he needed to embrace the time away from racing in the offseason. After some quality time with his wife, attending his children’s basketball games, and even firing up his iRacing console, he’s ready to refocus his attention to the upcoming season.
Pierson has every intention of getting back into the swing of things at DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, Feb. 15-18, 2023.
“I’m going down there to knock the rust off I guess,” Pierson said.  “To be honest, there hasn’t been a whole lot of rust to get knocked off because we race in November, and it’s only been a couple months. It would be good to start really well down there. Our goal would be to qualify every night and not use the [Last Chance Showdown] stuff; we can go through the Heats, time well. I’d love to win one. I think we have the car, the team, the equipment to do it, it’s just everything has to line up together.”
And besides the incremental improvements to be more in the “top-10, top-eight, top-five” in Series finishes, he has one coveted goal that will be on his mind a little more than others when he takes the seat the wheel of his #215 machine.
“My goal this year is to win at least a Super DIRTcar race,” Pierson said. “Whether it’s at our home track Albany (Saratoga Speedway), or a track that we’re decent at, or a track that we don’t have a lot of experience at. That would be my goal.”
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NASCAR: 3 possible car numbers for Jimmie Johnson in 2023​

 Asher Fair- After spending the last two seasons competing in IndyCar following his initial retirement from the NASCAR Cup Series, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is set to return to the Cup Series in 2023 with Petty GMS Motorsports.Johnson is set to join the team in a driver-owner role, though he is only set to compete in select races. He will not compete full-time like teammates Noah Gragson, who is set to replace Ty Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet, and Erik Jones, who is set for another year behind the wheel of the No. 43 Chevrolet.
Johnson’s car number has not yet been determined, though despite some speculation, it has been confirmed that it won’t be No. 48, as Alex Bowman is set to continue to drive the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson drove the No. 48 Chevrolet for all 686 of his starts with Hendrick Motorsports, the only team for which he has ever competed in the Cup Series.
What car number will he use next year?
Jimmie Johnson landing spots: No. 1 – No. 92 ChevroletThis might be the least likely option of the three listed in this article, but the No. 92 is the only other number that Jimmie Johnson has used as a full-time NASCAR driver. He used the number in 2000 and 2001 when he competed for Herzog Motorsports in the Busch (now Xfinity) Series.

Feld Motor Sports and MX Sports Pro Racing Partner to Form the SuperMotocross World Championship Race Purse Increased to Sport’s Richest - $10 Million

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Reigning Monster Energy AMA Supercross Champion Eli Tomac (3) leading a star-studded field into the first turn at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Announces
17-Race 2023 Schedule

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INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022) – INDYCAR has announced a 17-race schedule for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES as the sport’s brash and bold athletes will be showcased with traditional weekend dates, 13 races on NBC and an exciting, late-summer swing leading to another climactic ending to the 2023 championship.
The 2023 season opens Sunday, March 5 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Thrilling, wheel-to-wheel racing then will take place all spring and summer, including the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28, before the season ends with a stirring climax Sunday, Sept. 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The journey to a championship includes a stretch of eight races in the final nine weeks of the season, giving fans action nearly every weekend.
“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is on an impactful upward trajectory, making progress at a pace that befits our thrilling style of competition,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “The 2023 season provides an opportunity to further build on this trend, bringing our sport and its stars to more markets and households and reaching new consumers across the globe.”
For just the fourth time in the last 50 years, the INDYCAR SERIES will have 13 or more races on network television in the United States. The total appearances on broadcast television become 15 with the addition of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying coverage, Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, ahead of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The first seven events of 2023 will be featured on NBC, including the “500.” The season also finishes with six of the final seven races on network television. The 2023 season will include three races on USA Network and for the second consecutive year one exclusive race on Peacock. Peacock will present live simulstreams of all races on NBC and USA Network, as well as live coverage of all qualifying and practice sessions next season.
In partnership with NBC Sports, the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES was the most-watched season in six years and the most watched across NBC Sports on record. Powered by NBCUniversal’s popular streaming service, Peacock, the 2022 season also was the most-streamed season on record.
Half of the 2022 season’s 16 races on television featured a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of more than 1 million viewers, the highest mark since 2008. Last year’s season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding, was the most-watched season opener in 11 years.
“We’re very excited for our 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule and to build on this past season’s viewership milestones,” said NBC Sports, VP, Programming Mike Perman. “In providing comprehensive coverage across NBC, Peacock and USA Network, NBC Sports is once again looking forward to telling the stories of these world-class drivers and this compelling series.”
Traditional Dates, Races Return
The 2023 schedule includes the diversity that has been the hallmark of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the only open-wheel series on Earth that races on ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. Drivers will compete in seven road course races, five street circuit events and five oval races.
After the 2023 season opens for the 13th time on the palm tree-lined Streets of St. Petersburg, Sunday, March 5, North America’s premier open-wheel racing series returns to Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 2 for the series’ 36th race on the action-packed oval.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach follows with its traditional mid-April date hosting the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Sunday, April 16. It is the 39th time the INDYCAR SERIES has been featured on the iconic streets of Southern California as the event hosts its 48th edition.
Barber Motorsports Park plays host to its 13th NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, Sunday, April 30 before the series moves into the traditional Month of May cadence at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 13, “500” qualifying weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Sunday, May 28.
To date, tickets for the 107th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” are moving at a near-record pace, after a near-sellout crowd of more than 300,000 attended the 2022 race.
The traditional early June date for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear returns in 2023, but at a brand-new site. The debut of the Streets of Detroit circuit, a move to the downtown site from its previous location at Belle Isle Park, takes place Sunday, June 4.
The nine-turn, 1.7-mile street circuit will provide unprecedented access with more than half of the event’s footprint open to the public. It is also a homecoming and a connection to the event’s heritage, which began on the downtown streets of the Motor City in 1982.
USA Network will feature the early-summer swing on the classic American road courses of the Sonsio Grand Prix presented by AMR at Road America, Sunday, June 18 and The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, which returns for another Fourth of July weekend celebration, Sunday, July 2. Road America will feature a newly repaved 4.048-mile layout. Mid-Ohio matches Long Beach as it hosts INDYCAR SERIES racing for the 39th year.
Summer Homestretch
The 2023 season hits its stride with eight races in the final nine weeks. Peacock once again will provide an exclusive presentation of the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday, July 16, for the series’ annual appearance in Canada’s largest city.
After that, six of the final seven races will be featured on NBC broadcast television. It begins with two events expected to be even bigger and better than in 2022: the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
The doubleheader at Iowa Speedway is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 22-23. In 2022, with support from Hy-Vee, the wildly popular weekend featured world-class concerts and thrilling wheel-to-wheel action at “The Fastest Short Track on The Planet.”
INDYCAR returns to the unpredictable Streets of Nashville on Sunday, Aug. 6. Last year, the fan-favorite event, marked by concerts and entertainment, featured the closest street circuit finish in INDYCAR SERIES history when six-time series champion Scott Dixon edged Scott McLaughlin by a margin of .1067 of a second.
With the Brickyard Weekend returning to a traditional August date, the NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course features the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Gallagher Grand Prix, Saturday, Aug. 12 on USA Network.
The series finishes the season with three races on three consecutive weekends – all on NBC – beginning with the final oval of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, Sunday, Aug. 27.
From there, it’s the traditional two-race, West Coast swing featuring Portland International Raceway and the newly repaved WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The 29th Grand Prix of Portland is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3 while the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion will be crowned and receive the Astor Challenge Cup at the 26th Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, Sept. 10.
“We have worked hard to achieve date and venue equity, which has been an ongoing goal at INDYCAR,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “We are excited to return to downtown Detroit, and the repaves at Road America and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will add new challenges for the drivers and teams. The intensity level will also be at an all-time high as we conclude the season with three weekends in a row.
“As we build off the record-breaking 2022 season, we could not be more enthusiastic to see how 2023 unfolds.”
Start times for the 2023 events will be announced at a later date.
2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Schedule
Date
Venue
Television

Sunday, March 5
Streets of St. Petersburg
NBC, Peacock

Sunday, April 2
Texas Motor Speedway
NBC, Peacock

Sunday, April 16
Streets of Long Beach
NBC, Peacock

Sunday, April 30
Barber Motorsports Park
NBC, Peacock

Saturday, May 13
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course)
NBC, Peacock

Sunday, May 28
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval)
NBC, Peacock

Sunday, June 4
Streets of Detroit
NBC, Peacock 

Our interview with NASCAR driver Chase Briscoe

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang – HOW IS IT KNOWING YOU HAVE A LONG TERM DEAL AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE NEXT GEN ENHANCEMENTS?  “It’s really nice to have stability, especially being a young father now.  I think that’s the biggest thing for my family.  That’s the nicest thing is just having that comfortability, knowing that for the next few years I’m gonna have a job.  That’s really important, especially when you’re raising a little one.  I think that’s the biggest thing for me.  That’s most important about the whole thing is how it affects my family versus how it affects me, so that’s really nice.  I’ve never had that my entire career, so that’s gonna be something new for me to navigate, but I’m looking forward to showing my worth, hopefully, to the organization.  Outside of that, I’m really excited for the Ford Mustang.  I haven’t honestly seen it yet.  I know there’s not a ton of huge changes, but I feel like last year we were pretty good, but you could always be better and I know that whenever we came out with something new it’s gonna be better than what we had before.  I’m excited to finally get it on the racetrack.  I know testing is one thing, but when you go and finally race against the other competitors, you see where you stack up and we should be in a really good spot.  It’s just a matter of getting out there and see where we finally stack up to everybody and go from there.”

DID YOU PUSH TO GET THIS EXTENSION DONE OR DO YOU FEEL SHR, KNOWING THERE COULD BE SOME DRIVER MOVEMENT, DIDN’T WANT YOU TO START LOOKING?  “I felt like it was definitely Stewart-Haas took the initiative.  I mean, we mutually wanted to do something, for sure, but I think Stewart-Haas took a little bit more of the initiative, just knowing the situation I was gonna be in coming up and then the situation with Kevin, obviously, and Aric, not knowing when he’s gonna be gone.  It felt like we all obviously wanted to get something done.  I’ve said it for a really long time that I’ve wanted to be at Stewart-Haas, the personal tie for me to the 14 is important, so I felt like we were both kind of pushing to get something done, but at the same time it was probably a little bit more them than me.  At the same time, it was definitely me wanting to get it done, too.  I would say all-around it was 50-50.”

WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM TESTING AT PHOENIX WITH THE MUFFLERS AND SMALLER SPOILER?  “I think every race car driver would agree that we always want more power and less downforce.  I feel like that’s always our answer because we’d feel like it puts more of the control in our hands versus the car, the team or things like that, and I feel like it just makes the racing better a lot of the time as far as being able to pass other guys.  I felt like that was kind of the same thing I heard from one of the other drivers when they took downforce away.  It seemed like it got better.  I think they went from, I don’t know what the normal spoiler is, but they went to 2-½ and it didn’t really change a lot, and then they went to 2 and changed some underbody stuff, and it sounded like that changed a lot of things as far as for the better, so I don’t know where they’re gonna go with it.  Testing is just kind of one thing and then applying it to everybody is another.  I think anytime you can get less downforce, especially on the short tracks, it typically makes it better, and I feel like this car everywhere we went when it’s 60 laps into a run and the tires are finally starting to get worn out and we’re slipping and sliding around a little bit more, at least on the short tracks, we race a lot better and I feel like less downforce and more power – just even less downforce – is gonna make it easier to get to that point.  Instead of 60 laps into a run, maybe 30 laps into a run, so I think less downforce is definitely the answer for the short tracks and road courses.  I don’t think we need to change anything on the mile-and-a-halves, but it sounded like all the drivers were in agreement on that from who I’ve read texts from.”

WHEN DOES A DRIVER START TO FOCUS ON THE CLASH?  “I think it all depends on how you ended the season.  For us, I felt like we were on such a run of momentum and just strong runs that I was instantly thinking of The Clash and wanting to go there next week, but I think you definitely take a couple of weeks off.  This offseason, I probably had two or three weeks where I didn’t have anything I really had to do.  Outside of that, it was a pretty busy offseason, but I would say, for me, when I got back from Chili Bowl – a week or two weeks ago – I started thinking about The Clash.  I went and sat inside the car yesterday, so you start thinking about it pretty quickly – kind of mid-January that you’re gonna be going racing in two or three weeks.  I think, for me, leading up to next week I’ve got a busy week-and-a-half.  I’ve got to go to Ohio this weekend for an appearance.  I’ve got to go to Raleigh next week.  I’ve got some stuff at the shop I’ve got to do still.  Outside of that, I’ll just try to spend as much time as I can with my family, just trying to spend that quality time before we kind of get busy and on the road.”

WHAT ATTRIBUTES OF THE SHR TEAM DO YOU BELIEVE HAVE ALLOWED YOU TO FIND SUCCESS IN NASCAR?  “I haven’t been with a ton of teams.  I think I’ve been at three or four organizations my entire career, but Stewart-Haas has definitely been the one that I’ve been at the longest.  I think the biggest thing is just the amount of resources you have from just an experience level.  Everybody at Stewart-Haas and the marketing team and everybody always talks about how we’re just a bunch of racers and it’s the truth.  Everybody there from literally the top guy to the bottom guy they all have just raced their whole life.  They race on their off weekend.  They go racing in the middle of the week at Millbridge and places like that, where other organizations you have groups of those guys, but not the whole organization.  For me, being a relatively young guy in the sport and inexperienced, I had so many different guys I could go to, whether it was Tony Stewart or Zippy or Kevin Harvick and all these guys for perspective.  They’ve seen the same scenario, but they all have a different outlook on it or a viewpoint on it, so, for me, to be able to go and ask questions, whether it’s on or off the racetrack stuff, and just get different opinions on it, different perspectives on it was one of the biggest things that made Stewart-Haas feel so much like home.  We just all have the same kind of background and things like that, and I feel like that just makes a huge difference.”

WILL THIS EXTENSION CHANGE YOUR APPROACH TO THE SEASON?  “I don’t think so.  I feel like I always race with this mentality of every lap is making a difference, even if you’re 10 laps down because you have a mechanical issue.  I always feel like I’m running 100 percent just to try to show my team that I’m not giving up.  I don’t think my mentality changes now that I’m secured for years to come, so I don’t think it really changes anything for me.  It maybe makes you a little less stressed at home, but, outside of that, I feel like you’re going to the racetrack every weekend to win and try to set the fastest lap every single lap, every single session and things like that.  I don’t think it will really change my outlook on anything as far as that goes.”

YOU WERE COUCH SURFING NOT THAT LONG AGO AND NOW YOU’RE WITH ONE OF THE TOP TEAM IN NASCAR FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.  WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE?  “For sure.  In 2013, 2014, 2015 and part of 2016, part of 2016, but those  three years prior I was sleeping on a couch and volunteering at different places.  Now, to be where I’m at is pretty crazy.  One of my buddies, we had this group chat of all of our friends and we race online together.  We’ve had it for 10 years and I remember when I was going through that couch to couch thing and they were giving me a hard time telling me how I was wasting my time and things like that.  One of my buddies texted me today and said, ‘I’m glad you didn’t listen to me.’  It was six or seven years ago.  It’s pretty crazy to see what it’s turned into, so it’s crazy to look back on and think about it.  I still, honestly, every day find myself just thinking how crazy it is and how it’s all worked out, how not only to make it to the Cup Series but then to make it to the Cup Series and drive the car that you dreamed of driving.  That was your favorite car growing up.  Things like that.  It’s crazy the amount of doors that have opened up for me.  I’ve definitely been extremely blessed to be able to be in the spot I’m in, so I definitely find myself every day questioning how I got here because it was not that long ago where I was ready to give up.  It’s crazy to be sitting here today talking about a contract extension and driving for this company that I feel like is a powerhouse company in the sport.  It’s pretty unbelievable, for sure.”

IT MUST BE SOMEWHAT LIBERATING AND RELIEVING TO KNOW YOU HAVE A STAFF THAT WORKS ON SPONSORSHIP FOR YOU AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ON YOUR OWN LIKE YEARS AGO?  “I remember when I was couch to couch I would sit at least an hour almost every single day and would type in CEO, COO, anything I could think of and type it on LinkedIn and every name I could find I would send an email.  I mean, I bet I got who knows how many thousands of no’s, but even to this day – I don’t get on LinkedIn – but I’m still trying to sell myself to new people and things like that, but I think the biggest thing for me is I’ve always tried to be my true self.  I don’t put on an act for anybody.  What you see is kind of what you get and I was trying to treat everybody with respect and I feel like that goes such a long way.  I try to make sure that all of my partners always feel appreciated, even if it’s a new partner or whether it’s somebody that has no chance of ever sponsoring me ever, I still try to treat them with respect and treat them how I feel they should be treated.  I feel that has gone a really long way with all of my partners and even ones that have seen me from afar doing that goes a long way for them.  It’s always kind of been who I am and if it’s enough, it’s enough.  If it’s not enough, it’s not enough, but I feel like it’s worked to this point and hopefully it will continue to.”

CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOUR VOICE HAS DEVELOPED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION?  “I feel like, for me, I look back, especially on my rookie year, we’d go into our competition meeting on Tuesday and, truthfully, I wouldn’t really talk much.  I mean, I would say kind of what we thought for the weekend, but outside of that I would just kind of sit there and listen.  Then this past year, I definitely talked a lot more and I’d bring up ideas and kind of say things I wanted to get off my chest, where in the past I wouldn’t have done that.  So, I feel like as I’ve gotten more confident in myself and my position I’ve gotten to the point where I speak my mind a little bit more and I guess be a little bit more of a leader.  But where we’re at as a company, for me still, Kevin Harvick is the guy.  He’s who steers our ship.  He’s the guy that when he talks people listen and, for me, I’ve just tried to watch as much as I can knowing the Kevin’s not gonna be there one day and especially with Aric leaving in the next few years or whenever he does, I’m gonna be the guy that’s been there the longest, so, naturally, the leadership kind of falls on you to a certain extent, so I think how Kevin gets his points across and how I get my points across is probably two different ways, but you can still learn things from Kevin in just how he approaches certain situations.  He’s seen so many different scenarios, but I feel like I talk to Kevin a lot about it and even just watching how he handles certain things and how he always can circle back around to get his point proven is something I’ve definitely been taking notes on, just knowing that one day that potentially could be me that has to have more of a leadership role.  Yeah, it’s a role that is crazy, truthfully, to think about because that could be me in the next year or two, being I wouldn’t say that flagship guy, but being a leader as far as the drivers go in an organization, but, truthfully, I feel like that’s something I want to be.  I’ve always enjoyed that kind of leader, team building type of stuff, so, yeah, if that role is kind of placed on me naturally, then that’s one that I would love to have and try to do it to the best of my ability, but I feel like that’s a role that you don’t choose, it kind of chooses you.  We have to see how we run and things like that, and let the cards fall where they fall.  In a couple of years, we might be in a totally different situation.  We don’t know, but I’ll definitely try and take as many notes as I possibly can and just watch and learn as much as I can to kind of how to be that leader in our company.”

CAN YOU ALSO EXPLAIN WHAT IT’S LIKE GOING INTO THE CLASH THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR?  “Truthfully, I would say I’ve been really motivated about The Clash and wanting redemption.  Last year, I felt like that was a race that if I wasn’t gonna win, I was for sure gonna run second.  I felt like me and Reddick were the two best cars.  I went from eighth or ninth to third or fourth in a matter of like 20 laps and I just felt like my car was really, really good, and then we had the mechanical issue, so that’s one that I feel like kind of got away from us and one that I definitely want to go and try to win.  I’m excited from that side of things.  My outlook on the race is definitely different because last year it was such an unknown.  Nobody knew what to expect.  Nobody knew what the car was gonna drive like, what it was gonna race like.  I feel like this year it’s gonna be way more competitive.  Everybody is gonna have an understanding of what they need to do to their cars – the teams are and the drivers.  Last year, I was probably the only guy in the field that was shifting every single lap, every single corner and this year probably everybody is gonna do it just because they’re way more comfortable with it, where last year nobody even really knew that was a possibility.  All of those things have me a little bit, not nervous but it’s a big question mark as far as what it’s gonna look like this year.  The field is gonna be way tighter, so it’ll be a lot harder to separate yourself from the pack, but hopefully we can go there and have a good car and do that.”


HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THE CONTRACT EXTENSION WHEN TEAMS DON’T KNOW WHAT THE TV MONEY IS GOING TO BE STARTING IN 2025?  ARE THERE A LOT OF PROVISIONS INCLUDED?  “I should probably know what I’m allowed to say and what I’m not allowed to say so if I get myself in trouble that’s probably not good for me.  I remember when the contract first started getting talked about, I talked to all of my teammates.  I leaned on Kevin a lot and even Aric a lot and they both were adamant, don’t sign anything past ‘24 and things like that, but with the opportunity that was there, we just had to put a lot of provisions in it if it gets re-structured.  It’s not fair to the team and it’s not fair to me, obviously, either if the whole structure of the money going into the sport changes.  We just had to have a lot of wording in there to where if it does get changed and when it gets figured out we’ll obviously come back and sit down and try to figure out what’s fair for both of us.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR OBJECTIVES FOR THIS SEASON?  “There are for sure a lot of unknowns and to your first question, I would say the biggest thing for me is I just want to be way more consistent.  It’s no secret that last year we started the season strong and over the course of the summer was non-existent with the exception of two or three races, and then the playoffs was right back to where we were at the beginning of the year.  So, I feel like 99.9 percent of that was me and just not putting good races together.  If I had a 15th-place car that given day, I was trying to win the race with a 15th-place car and at this level you’re not gonna do that.  In the playoffs, if I had a 15th-place car, I just tried to run 10th or 11th with it and just try to be a couple spots better than what my car was, and when I did that I felt like you’d find yourself in that 10th or 11th spot.  You’d have a restart at the end of the race, well now you’re up to seventh.  You have another restart or on pit road you might pick up one or two spots and you’d find yourself in the top five at the end of the day.  I feel like it’s kind of similar to Kevin.  I tried to mirror him as much as I could, where he just doesn’t eliminate himself from races.  A lot of the time at the beginning of the race he might not be the best car, but at the end he’s always up there and he gives himself an opportunity and a chance if a restart comes out.  I felt like in the playoffs when I let the race just come to me, instead of forcing stuff, I became way more consistent.  The top 10s became way easier to get and if I can take that same mentality and approach and just keep reminding myself of what I did different in the playoffs versus the rest of the season, then hopefully our consistency will be a lot better throughout the season.  And then going to your second question, there are definitely a lot of unknowns still.  The car is still changed.  Things have happened where there’s new racetracks, there’s just new structures.  The teams are constantly trying to find things on the car to make it better, so the setups that you ran last year probably won’t work this year, but you just have to go to the racetrack and react and just do the best you can.  Like I was just saying, do the best you can on that given weekend and if it’s enough, it’s enough.  If not, just try to make the most of it and I feel like if we can do that, then the unknowns will be what they are, but you’ve got to adapt and you’ve got to adapt quickly, obviously, but you still have to adapt and just figure it out.  Whoever figures it out the best that weekend will probably win those races at the places that are new for us.”

DOES THE 14 FEEL LIKE YOUR CAR NOW?  HAVE YOU PUT YOUR STAMP ON IT?  “Yeah, for sure.  I tweeted about it a little bit ago.  The first two years I definitely felt like I was always getting in Clint’s car or getting in Tony’s car and it was just kind of my name on it, but I was just filling in.  Like that wasn’t me.  I wasn’t the long-term guy for it, where now I feel like it is mine to a certain extent.  It’s still Tony’s, obviously, but I feel like it’s my car now.  When people think of the 14, I want them to think about me because that’s how I feel, where before I was thinking it was Clint’s car or Tony’s car.  So, yeah, I definitely want to add a lot of history to the 14.  It’s known for being this car that is always battling for championships and battling for wins and the driver is just this down-to-earth, just normal dirt racer and I feel like I want to add my history to the 14.  So, I definitely feel like it’s mine now, which is nice.  It definitely feels a lot better going into it, my third year, and even if I didn’t have the contract extension I would say it probably would feel a little bit more like mine, but now it definitely does just knowing it’s gonna have my name on it for years to come now.  I’m looking forward to that side of it, for sure.” 

2023 KICKOFF AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS INCLUDES PEP BOYS NHRA TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 11, 2023) – With excitement already brewing surrounding the start of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series at the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, eight Top Fuel stars are already planning for a memorable weekend at historic Gainesville Raceway.
​The Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout returns in 2023, pitting eight standouts against each other in a unique specialty race that takes place on Saturday, March 11. It’s a marquee, can’t-miss attraction to help kick off the new season, and a definite highlight of famed Gatornationals.
Reigning world champion Brittany Force, defending callout winner Steve Torrence, Justin Ashley, Mike Salinas, Doug Kalitta, Josh Hart, Austin Prock and Clay Millican make up the eight-car field for the one-day shootout with a distinctive callout format that promises big money and major bragging rights, along with a special broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1).
The Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout’s format was introduced in 2022, with the top-seeded driver – which is Force this season – getting the first selection to call out her first-round opponent. Torrence gets the next selection, going down the line until the first-round matchups are set. After a sure-fire dynamite first round, the driver who makes the quickest winning run will select their semifinal opponent, locking in the other matchup as well.
It makes for a thrilling Saturday duel leading into Sunday’s eliminations, also setting the stage for a terrific way to open the 2023 season. Last year’s Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout was finished in Indy due to weather, with Torrence going 3.692-seconds at 329.02 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster to slip past Force in a stellar final round. Torrence, who won four straight world championships from 2018-2021, will look for back-to-back specialty race wins and the chance to do it for the first time in Gainesville, while Force will look to start her second career championship defense with a callout victory. The speed dynamo made a track-record run in Gainesville last year, scorching the track with a run of 337.75 en route to her world title.


Standouts Ashley and Salinas, who each had the best seasons of their careers in 2022, advanced to the semifinals in the shootout last year, while the veteran Kalitta was a participant last year and is no stranger to specialty races in his storied career. Millican and rising stars Josh Hart and Austin Prock will make their first appearances in the callout. Hart started his Top Fuel career with a victory at Gainesville at his first career race in 2021, while Prock came on strong to end 2022, winning two playoff races and finishing third in the points standings.
 
With three rounds of the specialty race set to take place on Saturday, it adds another thrilling attraction to the kickoff of the NHRA’s 72nd season. For more than five decades, Gainesville Raceway has served as hallowed grounds for drivers eager to leave their mark at the storied facility. The first event of the year will also celebrate the 2022 world champions with a ring ceremony, along with a pre-race kickoff party in Gainesville to help set the tone for an incredible opener.


In 2022, Tripp Tatum (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all picked up victories during a record-breaking weekend in Gainesville. Hagan earned the first-ever victory for Tony Stewart Racing, and Karen Stoffer made the quickest pass in Pro Stock Motorcycle history at 6.665 seconds en route to the win. Tatum earned his first career victory, as a first-time winner picked up the victory for a second straight year in Top Fuel.


Action will start with qualifying on Friday, final qualifying and the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday, and eliminations on Sunday as the NHRA stars will aim to open their 2023 season in standout fashion.


To purchase tickets to the 2023 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general-admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. 
 
2023 Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Final Standings
1.   Brittany Force
2.   Steve Torrence
3.   Justin Ashley
4.   Mike Salinas
5.   Doug Kalitta
6.   Josh Hart
7.   Austin Prock
8.   Clay Millican
(Note: Force will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)


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NHRA RELEASES 2023 SCHEDULE FOR NINE-RACE HOT ROD HERITAGE RACING SERIES

​INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 6, 2023) – NHRA announced today the nine-race schedule for the 2023 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, which will feature a pair of Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum Hot Rod Reunions.
 The series will again feature exciting racing action from the nitro-burning Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters and Nostalgia Funny Cars, which continue to be a fan favorite at each stop.
 This season opens with the Good Vibrations March Meet on March 2-5 at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, Calif. The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series will then make its first-ever stop at Redding Motorsports Park in Redding, Calif. on April 8-9, followed by the NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor Opener, which is reserved for Nostalgia Funny Cars, at Firebird Raceway in Boise on May 6-7 and the Nostalgia Reunion at Sacramento Raceway on May 12-13. That leads into the famed National Hot Rod Reunion at historic Beech Bend Raceway Park on June 15-17, where fans can enjoy must-see nostalgia displays and memorable racing action.
 The series resumes in August with a second trip to Firebird Raceway for the track’s historic Nightfire Nationals on Aug. 4-6, followed by a pair of September races on back-to-back weekends. The Nitro Nationals takes place at Osage Casino and Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park on Sept. 15-16 featuring Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car and A/Fuel, and a second 2023 event at Sacramento Raceway, the Governor’s Cup, will run Sept. 22-23 and hosts Groups 1 and 2.
 The California Hot Rod Reunion will close out the season on Oct. 13-15 at Famoso Dragstrip, with Nostalgia Top Fuel competing for points at five events during the season (March Meet, National Hot Rod Reunion, Nightfire Nationals, Nitro Nationals and California Hot Rod Reunion). Nostalgia Funny Car will compete for points at six races (March Meet, Ignitor Nitro Opener, National Hot Rod Reunion, Nightfire Nationals, Nitro Nationals and California Hot Rod Reunion).
In addition to Nostalgia Top Fuel dragster and Nostalgia Funny Car, there are two groups of additional classes. Group 1 includes A/Fuel, Jr. Fuel, and 7.0 Eliminator, while Group 2 includes Nostalgia Eliminator l, Nostalgia Eliminator ll, Nostalgia Eliminator lll, A/Gas, B/Gas, C/Gas, D/Gas, and Hot Rod Eliminator. Drivers in each class can compete at five events to earn points toward their respective championships. 
The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series was developed in 2008 to help preserve NHRA’s rich history and tradition while providing racing opportunities for enthusiasts who enjoy nostalgia drag racing competition.


2023 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Schedule
March 2-5: Good Vibrations March Meet, Famoso Dragstrip, Bakersfield, Calif. (TF, FC, Group 1, Group 2)
April 8-9: Redding Motorsports Park, Redding, Calif. (G1, G2)
May 6-7: NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor Nitro Opener presented by Peterson Chevrolet, Firebird Raceway, Boise, Idaho (FC)
May 12-13: Nostalgia Reunion, Sacramento Raceway, Sacramento (G1, G2)
June 15-17: National Hot Rod Reunion, Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, Ky. (TF, FC)
August 4-6: Nightfire Nationals presented by Bi-Mart Firebird Raceway, Boise (TF, FC)
Sept 15-16: Nitro Nationals, Osage Casino and Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park, Tulsa, Okla. (TF, FC, A/Fuel)
Sept 22-23: Governor’s Cup, Sacramento Raceway, Sacramento (G1, G2)
Oct 13-15: California Hot Rod Reunion Famoso Dragstrip, Bakersfield (TF, FC, G1, G2)   

TireRack.com To Sponsor Battle on the Bricks
in 2023 at IMS

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​INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022) – Indianapolis Motor Speedway and TireRack.com – a customer-direct tire, wheel and car accessory distributor – announced Dec. 14 an entitlement sponsorship of the Battle on the Bricks IMSA sports car event in September 2023.
TireRack.com is the “Official Partner of the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks” and “Official Partner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
“The opportunity to join as official partners in bringing IMSA sports car racing back to IMS amplifies how important tire performance is to our DNA,” said Matt Edmonds, executive vice president, TireRack.com. “Tire performance always plays a critical role for every driver, on the track or the street, and IMSA at IMS provides an exceptional showcase right in our home state of Indiana.”
The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks features the return of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to the Racing Capital of the World from Sept. 15-17, 2023, with a full weekend of sports car racing on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile IMS road course. The two-hour, 40-minute feature event will take place Sunday, Sept. 17, with live NBC network television coverage.
“We welcome TireRack.com as a partner of this exciting weekend of IMSA sports car racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “We know many sports car fans also are enthusiasts who enjoy working on their own cars, including me, and TireRack.com provides 24/7 access to shop for the highest-quality tires, wheels and car accessories with a focus on the best prices and customer service, which is an ideal match.”
In addition to Sunday’s WeatherTech Championship race, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will headline the action Saturday, Sept. 16 with a four-hour, bumper-to-bumper traffic jam of production-based race cars.
With 18 different manufacturers competing in IMSA, the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks weekend will be a three-day festival showcasing the pinnacle of sports car racing.
Fans who signed up for event updates about the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks will receive a ticket pre-sale link via email. Ticket sales will open to the general public Tuesday, Dec. 20. Visit ims.com/imsa to sign up for event updates and purchase tickets once available.
In another exciting addition to the sports car weekend, fans can camp in the IMS infield, access not available during any other race weekend. Powered and primitive spaces will be available to purchase throughout the infield for public camping.
IMSA also will return to IMS in 2024 and 2025 for longer endurance races. Fans who purchase race tickets or infield camping in 2023 will have first access to secure those spots for the 2024 IMSA endurance race.

​Ron Capps: My Advice to Anyone Thinking of Forming Their Own NHRA Team

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Probably the best advice, if I was giving myself advice a year ago when I was getting ready to become an NHRA team owner/driver, would be to make sure not to forget that you're only as good as the race car and the people around you.
In other words, John Force wouldn't be John Force if he didn't have crew chief Austin Coil all those years. No, he wouldn't be just another Funny Car driver, but he certainly wouldn't have 155 wins or be a 16-time NHRA champion. Especially in drag racing.
You can take a Mario Andretti and put him in a 10th-place car and there were times in his career that he would take that 10th-place car and finish top five, if not a win. Same thing with Dale Earnhardt Sr. I mean just looking back, there are only a few people who could do that. In drag racing, though, the car is set up to be what it is.

Ron Capps is the first back-to-back NHRA Funny Car champion in 20 years.© NHRA/National Dragster
And we as drivers in nitro cars, we can't make that car go any better than what it's set up. It's set up to go right down the middle of the groove as straight as possible. And if it's set up right, it's gonna run great. We can't push any harder, pedal, we can't do anything that's going to make it go better, but we can certainly make that car run worse by not keeping it straight, moving around, not leaving on time, not doing the same thing in the car every time, things like that.
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So I learned a long time ago, you're only as good as your car. And so a year ago, when we were getting ready to form a team, I would have told myself to do exactly what I did—to find the right people and especially the right race car.
I was lucky to have crew chiefs Guido Antonelli and John Medlen because they do so much more besides just tune a race car. And having great people around, obviously to help run the business part, has been awesome. But absolutely, as far as NHRA drag racing, you've got to have a great crew and a great crew chief. That is first and foremost.
I went to work for Don "Snake" Prudhomme all those years ago as a paid driver, and I've had some pretty legendary hero crew chiefs, some of the best of the best racers—Roland Leong, Ed "Ace" McCulloch, Rahn Tobler—and you go right down the list. I've loved that old-school mentality that these racers I've worked with have, and that includes Don Schumacher.
I think the best success that we had this year was when I showed up in the pit area the same way as I have the last 28, 29 years. The best success was when I would walk into the pit with my backpack, talk to the guys when I walk in, and I go and I sit down with a crew chief and talk about what the plan is and what we're doing.
And the fact that I grew up working on these cars before I drove, mechanically we can talk driver to crew chief, and I can expect what they're going to do—and know in the car what they're going to do. My goal every morning that I walk into that pit area is to be the best driver for that crew chief—and for the owner of course. But my immediate goal is to be the best for the crew chief.
I don't really think about the owner part, honestly.
In the past, if I've made mistakes, I 'm apologetic to my crew chiefs and my crew members, and then later on if I needed to apologize to the owner, I certainly would have done so. I did the same thing this year, and almost forgot I was a team owner. Those weekends where I forgot I was the team owner were the best weekends we had, including the Finals at Pomona. I didn't even think of myself as the team owner as all the hoopla was going on, as all the business side of things were going on from Monday to Thursday that week.
So that's another thing I would tell somebody.
Related video: RonCappsFunnyCarChampion


RonCappsFunnyCarChampionSome things did change within his team this year. I mean, we had the rock-n-roll music playing in the pits. Guys were loose, just having a good time, and I like it that way. I don't want people to have to be miserable going to such a great job.
I've been around multi-car teams my whole career, so when I went to Don Prudhomme's team, I had Larry Dixon as a teammate. Then later on, it was Tommy Johnson and Larry Dixon. Of course, when I went to Schumacher's, it was upwards of eight cars at one time—four funny cars and four dragsters. I've been around multi-car teams my whole career, and there are certainly negatives about it. Certainly, a lot of things can go wrong with multi-car teams.

2023 NHRA champions Erica Enders, Brittany Force, Matt Smith and Ron Capps celebrate on the victory stand at Pomona.© NHRA/National Dragster
When It's done right, it's fantastic. But again, it's about the people—that sounds cliche'. That's one of the major reasons that I stayed running DSR parts this year and I kept our hospitality with the same champions tent next to the pit area at the track. And we stayed next to the people at DSR that I had been around for 17 years.
My path was specifically making sure I had the right people first, and then having Toyota jump on board during the season. And all the little things came together. We were methodical about it.
So there's a culture for sure, but it's not necessarily the DSR or the Don Prudhomme Racing team culture. It's the people that are around it. I felt that was huge. One of the first things I did personally was bring on board my publicist, social media person and photographer that were part of our team at DSR. It goes back to the same thing—It's about the people.
The negative people—the people that are going to interrupt the good flow on a multi-car team—they've got to be weeded out. Sometimes that weeding out doesn't happen, and you watch it deteriorate a great multi-car team.
I've seen it both sides. I've seen the greatest, and I've seen the not so great.
What Don Schumacher built, I 'm very proud to be a part of all those banners hanging. It wasn't specifically my name on all those banners, but I feel like I brought a lot to the table to help that corporation win a lot of races, whether or not that that Wally or that banner had my name on it as a driver. I feel like I helped a lot.
People ask if I 'm still celebrating our championship. I 'm trying, but I 'm already stressing out trying to get stuff going for next year. I 'm trying to process all this. It's crazy because I don't think it fully hit me until I was doing all the media in the days after Pomona. It reminds me of what we did. It slowly hit me a little bit at a time.
But at the same time, like this morning, I was on the phone with Guido and we're going over stuff that's going to happen next year and about us trying to buy certain things here and there. And just then, it just reminded me what I was going through at the beginning of this year and the end of December last year when we were putting this all together.
It was like, 'Oh my God, I 'm having a little bit of this upset stomach and not sleeping at night and waking up in the middle of night all over again.' You would think I wouldn't have any of that this week, the week right after winning the championship and what we did, but I understand it now. I understand what these other drivers have talked about, and what team owners like John Force and (Connie) Kalitta, and all these guys have gone through.
Now I understand... no rest for the wicked.
I 'm excited for what we did, but I don't feel like we've really enjoyed it yet. So the holidays are going to help, and that's going to be probably the best time for my wife and I and all of us to enjoy it.
Then there's all the great messages and texts I've received. A couple days ago, Jeremy McGrath, who I've looked up to and has been a friend and is one of the all-time greats, sent me a message. I heard from Mr. (Rick) Hendrick and Jeff Gordon. Don Prudhomme was in my ear every day checking in on me.
When I look down at my phone I see a message from Jimmie Johnson, that's pretty neat. We've known each other forever, and to watch what he's done and now what he's doing, going back to NASCAR, has been really great.
To get that those kinds of messages for me really made me sit down and just stare at my phone for a minute and realize... yeah, we we did something pretty cool.
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ENDERS CLINCHES WORLD TITLE; B. FORCE, HAGAN AND ARANA JR. JOIN HER IN WINNER’S CIRCLE AT NHRA NEVADA NATIONALS Finals Highlights

THREE-TIME FUNNY CAR WORLD CHAMP MATT HAGAN IN WIN-NOW MODE HEADING TO NHRA NEVADA NATIONALS AT LAS VEGAS

POMONA, Calif. (Oct. 18, 2022) – A thrilling, record-breaking 2022 season in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is set for one unbelievable final race, as world champions will be crowned at the 57th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at legendary Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Nov. 10-13.
 
It is the final of 22 races during the 2022 season and the sixth race in what has been a memorable Countdown to the Championship playoffs. But championship dreams only become a reality for one driver in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, setting the stage for one of the biggest weekends of the year.
 
The Auto Club NHRA Finals is also a points-and-a-half race, meaning just about anything can happen and drivers will undoubtedly leave it all on the line for a chance at championship glory. With four rounds of qualifying taking place over Friday and Saturday, and eliminations on Sunday at the famed Auto Club Raceway, fans will be treated to all the thrills and emotion of 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph action during a historic, championship-themed weekend.
 
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won last year’s race, while Torrence, Ron Capps (Funny Car), Anderson and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed world titles in Pomona as well. This season’s event will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 13 as a terrific 2022 campaign will end in style at Pomona.
 
Torrence continued his impressive late-season track record at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona a year ago, picking up the victory en route to his fourth straight world championship. The Texan is aiming for a fifth and currently trails points leader Justin Ashley, who won in Pomona earlier this year, by 96 points heading to the final stretch of the season. But the class is absolutely loaded with contenders, including Brittany Force and Mike Salinas, who each have four wins this season. Force currently sits second in points, 82 out of first, while Antron Brown, a three-time world champ, is third, trailing Ashley by 84 points.
 
In Funny Car, Robert Hight would like nothing more than to clinch a fourth world championship at a track that means a great deal to him. He’s won five times in Pomona and boasts a remarkable eight victories in 2022 and could earn his first-ever sweep of both races at the prestigious track. It’s been the best season in his standout career, but his lead remains a slim 10 points against defending world champion Ron Capps, who recently won in Dallas. Others to watch include Matt Hagan, who is 78 points back of Hight, 16-time world champ John Force, defending event winner Bob Tasca III, Alexis DeJoria, J.R. Todd, Tim Wilkerson, and Cruz Pedregon.
 
Pro Stock’s Erica Enders has delivered a dominant 2022 season, rolling to eight victories and a commanding points lead in the talent-filled class. Heading into the final three races of the year, Enders’ lead stands at more than 160 points over Elite Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield. But Enders will need to finish the job to earn a fifth world title, which means warding off a standout group of competitors that also includes defending world champ Greg Anderson, who earned his 100th win this year, Dallas Glenn, rookie Camrie Caruso, Kyle Koretsky, Matt Hartford, and Troy Coughlin Jr.
 
Matt Smith closed out his fifth world championship with a Pomona triumph, something he would love to replicate as the Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader inches toward a sixth world title. His five wins at the race are also tied for the most in class history, but competition is at an all-time high in the two-wheeled category. The points lead has changed at six of the past seven races and Smith leads Joey Gladstone by just 51 points. Others to watch include Angie Smith, as well as multi-time champ Eddie Krawiec, veteran Steve Johnson, Angelle Sampey and Jerry Savoie.
 
The Auto Club NHRA Finals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, and a special Jr. Dragster Shootout. After nitro qualifying on Friday and Saturday, the “Walking Tall” P.T. Cruiser Wheelstander exhibition featuring “Nitro Mike” will put on a show to close out the day. Fans can also attend Nitro School on Saturday to learn more about how the cars operate and reach their thrilling speeds, while an autograph session will take place on Friday at the Toyota Display with Toyota-sponsored drivers.
 
Race fans at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the Auto Club NHRA Finals event winners and world champions.
 
As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Pomona. This unique opportunity gives fans a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family. The new Pep Boys midway display includes tire change challenges, oil change challenges, a slot car track, and much more, adding even more excitement to the midway.
 
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 12:00 and 3:15 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 11, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 11:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. PT on Sunday, Nov. 13. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 2:00 p.m. ET. on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 4:00 p.m. ET.
 
To purchase tickets to the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or visit www.nhra.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.


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Musings of a Filterless Reporter- Roy J. Akers
By Roy J. Akers
With silly season with us to sort out the remainder of the 2002 season and into 2023, things are changing. 

- First, its hard to believe Chase Elliott has not won in Atlanta. After driving through Dawsonville years ago, its not worth a second drive but for those from Elliott's hometown, it means the world to them. Elliott was already in the season ending playoffs. His win is his third on the season and six top fives and 13 top ten's show his consistency. Elliott has only one DNF on the season in his dominating season performance. 

If you want to look at a driver who would love to win more than almost every other driver in the field combined, Corey LaJoie is that driver. He is 31st in driver points out of 43 full-time drivers on the circuit. LaJoie led 20 laps on Sunday with quite a few more laps in the top five. He was nudged with just over a lap to go. He ended up finishing out of the top 20 and was in good spirits in a video segment done with Elliott on NASCAR.COM. 

Ross Chastain has it in for Denny Hamlin, that's for sure. Elliott certainly knows how to return a favor. The problem for Chastain is he has two wins in 2022 and that is probably two more wins than friends among the drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in Sunday's NBC telecast Chastain will need to mend some fences as drivers will spoil his chances if he contends for a NASCAR championship.

World of Outlaws

Remembering Jimmie's last visit to MIS

Bubba Wallace on 2021 and more...

XFinity MIS Race final laps of New Holland 250

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Brad Keselowski headed to Roush Fenway Racing in driver-ownership role (Video Presser follows)

By Staff Report NASCAR.com July 20, 2021  Roush Fenway Racing team president Steve Newmark announced Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame that Brad Keselowski will come on board as a driver with a minority ownership stake in the organization, starting in 2022. Keselowski is leaving Team Penske, where he has driven full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2010 and has amassed 34 of his 35 Cup wins and a series championship (2012).
The Rochester Hills, Michigan, native will stay in the Ford camp. The news comes after a July 15 announcement from Team Penske that moves Austin Cindric into the No. 2 Ford for the 2022 campaign and also confirmed Keselowski’s departure from the team at the conclusion of this season.
Roush Fenway Racing currently fields the No. 6 Ford for Ryan Newman and the No. 17 Ford for Chris Buescher. Keselowski will take over the No. 6 ride in 2022. Keselowski will also assume a leadership role within the organization on the competition committee. The team will provide additional details on driver lineup, partners and other team assets at a later date.
“I am thrilled to be able to share the news about this next venture with my fans, peers, and the industry,” Keselowski said in a team release. “This presents an opportunity to continue my on-track success with a strong team and a long-term commitment, but also dive into my passion of team ownership where I know I can be an asset to the future of the team. I am optimistic about what Jack (Roush), John (Henry) and I can accomplish together, especially with a new era for our sport on the horizon (with the Next Gen car). Our goal is to win races and compete for championships at NASCAR’s top level, and we plan to do just that.”
Jack Roush was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Class of 2019. The 79-year-old team owner has fielded entries in the Cup Series since 1988 and has compiled 137 victories at that level, including series championships with Matt Kenseth (2003) and Kurt Busch (2004). He has also guided drivers to five Xfinity Series titles and one championship in the Camping World Truck Series. The organization was first known as Roush Racing. Red Sox majority owner John Henry became an investor in the team in 2007, and the name was changed to Roush Fenway Racing.
“I’m truly excited about this partnership with Brad,” Roush said. “I think it will bring a lot to the organization, from not only Brad’s ability behind the wheel, but a rejuvenation and fresh perspective across our teams. I’ve had the opportunity to watch Brad for a number of years, as he has fought and clawed his way up the ladder, molding himself into a champion and one of the top drivers in our sport. I’ve always admired his resolve and determination. I’m very pleased that he has chosen to be a part of our organization and I’m proud to partner with him moving into the future.”
Since 2011, Keselowski has qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons. His streak of 11 consecutive seasons with a victory is tied with Kevin Harvick for the second-longest among active drivers. Entering the Olympic break, the 37-year-old sits ninth in the Cup Series points standings with a victory at Talladega — his sixth of his career there — seven top fives and nine top 10s.
In a statement released on July 15 on Twitter, Keselowski said that “getting to drive for Mr. Roger Penske in the No. 2 has been a tremendous opportunity, and I am proud of the success we’ve had together. His guidance has helped me both be a better competitor, but even more so, a better man. …
“Making the decision to part ways with Team Penske to embrace a new opportunity and challenge was a difficult one, and one I did not take lightly.”
This will be Keselowski’s second turn at an ownership role with a team on the NASCAR national series level. From 2008-15, he headed up Brad Keselowski Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Cindric, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney were among the drivers who piloted trucks for Keselowski during those years. His team compiled 11 race wins, including one for Keselowski as an owner-driver in 2014 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Brad Keselowski through the years, career milestones
During his availability to discuss elevating Cindric into the No. 2 Ford, Penske revealed that Keselowski had shown an interest in an ownership stake during talks. “He wanted to have ownership and the way we’re structured, that wasn’t available,” Penske said.
Denny Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and is a co-owner of 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, is another Cup Series veteran who is doing the dual role of driver and owner at NASCAR’s highest level. Other drivers who are either currently holding both roles or have done so in the past across NASCAR’s national series include Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart.
Keselowski got his start in the Cup Series with Rick Hendrick driving two races toward the end of 2008 season. Keselowski then drove part of the 2009 season for Hendrick, James Finch and ultimately Roger Penske. Keselowski got his first Cup win that year for James Finch in April at Talladega Superspeedway.
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NASCAR at Atlanta race results: Kurt Busch wins Cup race​

Kurt Busch emerged from his car Sunday with a massive grin on his face and a line ready for the cameras.
“Hell yeah, we beat Kyle!” the elder Busch said on NBCSN after climbing from his No. 1 Chevrolet.
Busch secured his first win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway by leading 144 laps of the 260-lap event and holding off his younger brother Kyle through the final stage.
The victory lifts the elder Busch into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. He was sitting on the bubble of the 16-driver cutoff prior to Sunday and 327 points back from series leader Denny Hamlin.
The Busch brothers battled through each stage, with Kyle winning the first stage and Kurt behind him. Kurt then emerged ahead of Kyle to open the second stage, and was able to hold the lead through a long green flag run and eventually regain the top spot after green flag pit stops. It was the elder Busch who won the next stage followed by his younger brother.
In the final stage, the two continued to exchange the lead. Kyle was chasing Kurt, but a savvy call to pit a lap before the leader allowed Rowdy to sail to take first place as his brother came off pit road. Kurt continued to put pressure on Kyle and as he worked through lapped traffic.
  • He lost speed as he approached Kurt’s Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Ross Chastain, who continued to ride in the low lane, and Kurt surged to first with just under 25 laps to go. Kyle reduced the lead to half a second in the final 20 laps, but couldn’t quite get by him. He finished second. Martin Truex Jr. finished third.
LEBANON, Tenn. -- Kyle Larson won again - that's all he does these days - this time in the Cup debut at Nashville Superspeedway, where Hendrick Motorsports' new star drove to victory lane for the fourth consecutive week.
Larson led 264 of 300 laps Sunday for his third consecutive win in a points race, fourth straight including last weekend's All-Star race. That win at Texas Motor Speedway kicked off a stretch of four wins in seven days as Larson collected the $1 million All-Star payout then traveled to Ohio to pocket the $6,000 purses in two sprint car races.
     Rick Hendrick's cars have been to victory lane six consecutive weeks dating to Alex Bowman's May 9 win at Dover.
Nashville Superspeedway re-opened this weekend after a decade of dormancy to host its first ever Cup race. NASCAR's top series last raced in the Nashville-area 37 years ago at the Fairgrounds, where Geoff Bodine won in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick.
To celebrate his win in his new No. 5, Larson did burnouts along the entire Nashville frontstretch to put on a show for the sold-out crowd of 40,000.
"There's a lot of fans out there and we had enough rubber and enough fuel there to do a good burnout at the end," Larson said.
Next up for Larson is a trip to Brandon, South Dakota, for Monday and Tuesday night World of Outlaws races at Huset's Speedway.
Larson's fourth Cup points win of the season was the first with sponsor Valvoline on his hood, which marked just the third time in 17 races so far this season that Larson featured a non-Hendrick company on his car. He's largely unsponsored after missing all but four races last season during a NASCAR suspension for using a racial slur while participating in an online race.
Ross Chastain finished second for Chip Ganassi Racing and Hendrick driver William Byron was third in a Chevrolet podium sweep.
"My goodness, we don't have anything for those Chevrolets right now," said Ford driver Aric Almirola, who finished fourth after starting from the pole.
His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate finished fifth in one of the better days for the slumping organization. The pair of top-fives came the same day team co-owner Tony Stewart was at his first Cup race since the start of the pandemic.
Traffic issues leading into the speedway delayed the start the race by 10 minutes.
NASCAR asked television partner NBC Sports to push back its first Cup race of the season to allow for more fans to get seated before the race began. NBCSN had an NHL playoff game scheduled Sunday night and could only afford the 10-minute delay.
Nashville Superspeedway is 28 miles east of downtown Music City and the race was a sellout at about 40,000 spectators in the grandstands, temporary seating and suites.
Xfinity Series driver Noah Gragson and the wife of Cup rookie Chase Briscoe were among those caught in the congestion and Gragson tweeted that he had "been in traffic for 2 hours. Brutal."
Nashville opened in 2001 and hosted 21 Xfinity Series races and 13 Truck Series events before it closed in 2011 when it couldn't get a coveted Cup date. Dover Motorsports owns the track and moved one of its weekends from its Delaware facility to Nashville to reopen the speedway and at last host a Cup race.
NASCAR awarded the track a four-year sanctioning agreement.
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Hélio Castroneves Wins Indianapolis 500 for the Fourth Time

 NDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Hélio Castroneves joined the exclusive club of four-time Indianapolis 500 winners Sunday, and then scaled the fence at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in front of the largest crowd since the start of the pandemic.
The Brazilian joined A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears, his former mentor at Team Penske, as the only four-time winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Mears was the last driver to join the club in 1991.
Castroneves won his third 500 in 2009 and has been chasing win No. 4 ever since.
At 46 years old, in his first season no longer driving for Roger Penske, he held off Alex Palou to win the 105th running of the race in front of 135,000 fans — the most at any sports event in the world since the pandemic began 18 months ago. The number represented 40% of the speedway’s capacity and was agreed upon by health officials.
A year ago, no fans were allowed for the race that was delayed from May to August. This year, celebrities were back and fans were everywhere and they were treated to a win by one of the most popular drivers in Indy 500 history.


NASCAR Erik Jones meets the media on his switch to Petty

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Video interview: 2019 Indy winner talks to Roy J. Akers on his win and driving for the Captain

Juan Pablo Montoya has a home in a new racing series

Aric Almirola on NASCAR
teamwork, the Dover Dip and Diversity

NASCAR HOF gains 5

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Covering NASCAR in 2021 has a Covid hangover

 By Roy J. Akers
​Man, this is weird. Covering NASCAR in 2021 is still tainted with Covid nearly 17 months after the NBA mothballed their season in 2020 and all other major sports leagues followed suit.
 
The first sign of weirdness is just walking from my usual parking lot to the media center. There were no cars in the usual lot and walking to the media center finds multiple people inspecting me like a dog inspecting a prime rib sandwich. Not this time. I walked right in. I thought the race was last weekend. When entering the media center, there were about six reporters there. For perspective, Friday’s are driver availability day. That means NASCAR has a series of press conferences or one on one interviews scheduled throughout the day with drivers or NASCAR related personnel. Not in 2021. This year, there were none.
 
NASCAR has mothballed both practices and qualifying and there were no drivers and that means… no press. No press means… no food. No lunch, no buzz amongst the press talking racing and no fans. No fans means a closed press box overlooking Michigan International Speedway (MIS) and watching the race on a 19” small screen tv. If you are getting the picture, press members are pretty spoiled and heck, we are not in a multi-million dollar paying profession, so fans, the spoils of hobnobbing with the athletes and people that make NASCAR happen are no better in 2021 than a popped balloon given to a child at their third birthday party. That means the quotes and stories that develop from a weekend of racing are stale, contrived or never develop.
 
So, if you are looking at giving readers or viewers a preview or recap of the drivers or the race itself, you are not getting much.
 
During the day… Debbie Downer kept sending emails that were like getting punched in the face. First, one email said you cannot speak to any driver all weekend long in a one-on-one format. Heck, the drivers love that. So do the media people from Ford, Chevy and Toyota. The manufacture media people disappear for hours and do not have to pretend to get you a driver.  Then another email came.  No pressers except for the race winner. Drivers might come on during Zoom calls. That is a code for you are getting zip, zilch, nada.
 
So, if you are looking for a short story that is inspiring, you have been had. Times will get better in sports. But for right now, the dominos have fallen for sports coverage in this sport and they may all fall in a split second, but setting them up to get back to sports in a post-Covid world are going to take some time.
 
I hope the race is great. May MIS provide a fan experience of three wide racing. 

Secret no Longer... Keselowski to replace Ryan Newman at Roush/Fenway

Highlights and results from New Hampshire

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​NASCAR News and Notes

By Terrin - For the first time in his NASCAR Cup Series career, crew chief Adam Stevens celebrated a race win with a driver other than Kyle Busch. Stevens helped sophomore Christopher Bell put the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in Victory Lane on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway after Bell conquered the track’s road-course layout. The win marked Bell’s first and Stevens’ 29th.
Stevens won only one race in 2020, and it was the third-to-last event. This victory came in just the second race of the 2021 schedule.
“I generally don’t self-analyze career milestones or achievements,” Stevens said in a post-race Zoom teleconference. “I can tell you it felt really good. I’m beyond thrilled for Bell and beyond thrilled for all my team guys. … We’re all learning each other. Everyone is doing such a good job with such a good attitude. That’s what feels good to me. Certainly less about me.
“It always feels good to win. It’s nice to be reminded we’re doing the right things and we’re doing them the right way.”
RELATED: Race results | Christopher Bell wins Daytona Road Course
The Busch-Stevens duo split during the offseason after six full-time seasons together at NASCAR’s top division. Their shared record included two championships (2015 and 2019) and 28 wins. They also worked together in the Xfinity Series, tallying an additional 19 victories.
Busch now has Ben Beshore atop the No. 18 pit box.
Bell is in just his second season in the Cup Series, his first with Joe Gibbs Racing. As a rookie, Bell competed for Leavine Family Racing in its No. 95 Toyota, but LFR shut its operation’s doors at the end of last year, prompting the move to JGR.
The biggest difference between working with Bell now compared to Busch before is the experience level. That was to be expected, though.
“We have to spend a lot of time talking about how we’re going to operate and what makes a good weekend, what makes a bad weekend — lessons we can learn from,” Stevens said. “You can learn from bad days just as easy as you can learn from a good day. You have to be ready to pull those lessons out. Just a lot of time communicating, laying the foundation for us to do great things in the future.”
Seems like it’s working.
Bell is now qualified to run in the NASCAR Playoffs. He didn’t make the 16-driver postseason field in 2020, finishing the season 20th in the final standings.
“I didn’t imagine we’d win our second race together, but happy to do so,” Stevens said. “It definitely changes the whole season — how you approach the season, what your obstacles might be. Now that we have one under our belt, I think we can get a few more.”
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Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, now has a Cup title to bolster his resume.
As Jimmie Johnson bid farewell at Phoenix Raceway, the sport celebrated a changing of the guard.
After his best season to date, the 24-year-old second-generation racer is now a second-generation champion joining Lee and Richard Petty and Ned and Dale Jarrett as the only father and son combinations to pull off the feat.
And on Sunday, Elliott accomplished the task in dramatic fashion, coming from the rear of the field to holding off former champions Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski over the final 43 laps.
“Man, I'm at a loss for words,” Elliott said. “This is unbelievable. Oh, my gosh. We did it.  I mean, we did it. That's all I've got to tell you. Unreal.
“Championship crew chief, Alan Gustafson, is now a NASCAR Cup Series champion, and very deserving. I just can't say enough about our group. I felt like we took some really big strides this year, and last week was a huge one. To come out of that with a win and a shot to come here and have a chance to race is unbelievable. This is unreal.”
Keselowski finished 2.740-seconds behind Elliott followed by title contenders Logano and Denny Hamlin. Seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, making his final start in the No. 48 Chevy, finished fifth before pulling up to the No. 9 Chevy to congratulate his Elliott. Johnson then rolled off for a Polish victory lap to thank the fans as Elliott started his celebratory burnouts.
Elliott started Season Finale 500 35th after the No. 9 Hendrick team failed pre-race inspection twice but soldiered up to 10th-place in the first 26 laps. Logano dominated the first stage and held serve on pit road to retain the lead to start the second segment. Elliott exited behind Hamlin and restarted third for the Lap 84 restart. Twenty laps later, Elliott started flexing his muscled and passed Hamlin for second-place.
Logano led a career-high 117 laps before developing a vibration. Elliott caught the No. 22 Ford in Turn 2 and executed a bump and run before making a pass for the lead on Lap 120. Over the last nine laps, the Championship 4 pitted.
Despite relinquishing the lead on Lap 139, Elliott quickly cycled back to the point on Lap 151. Eleven laps later, James Davison triggered the third caution. Following pit stops, Elliott came out second behind Kurt Busch, who opted for two tires.
Elliott easily took the lead from Busch on the Lap 168 restart with Keselowski, Logano, Hamlin and Johnson in tow. Elliott appeared to be in command of the stage before Keselowski drove low and inside of the No. 9 Chevy for the lead and the stage win with two circuits remaining.
A slow stop for Keselowski mired the No. 2 Ford in sixth for the Lap 201 restart. Hamlin developed a tight condition in the final stage and never factored into the end game. Keselowski passed Hamlin for third on Lap 224 but Elliott had checked out. By the time the final round of green-flag pit stops began on Lap 256, Hamlin was 4.7-seconds behind Elliott.
Of the Championship 4 contenders, Logano and Hamlin pitted first on Lap 259. Elliott and Keselowski came in for service two laps later—and once again, the No. 2 Penske team lacked execution.
Logano cycled back to the lead on Lap 262 but couldn’t maintain his advantage over Elliott for long. Logano developed another tire vibration and was passed by Elliott on Lap 270.
“Yeah, just waiting on the caution, as always,” Elliott said. “You know, I saw Joey was pretty loose there and felt like I needed to get to him while I could. I knew I'd been kind of tight on a longer run and he was probably going to get a little better. Just unbelievable.
“I mean, I just never would have thought that this year would have gone like it has.  I mean, NASCAR Cup Series champion; are you kidding me? Unreal.”
Keselowski maneuvered by Logano on Lap 280 but couldn't catch Elliott. Without a caution, it was smooth sailing for Elliott over the final green-flag run en route to his and crew chief Alan Gustafson’s first Cup title and the 13th for Hendrick Motorsports.
“Oh, it's unbelievable,” Elliott added. “All you can dream for is an opportunity, and I've been very fortunate to have that over the years. You know, and that's all thanks to some great people. You know, my parents obviously have played a huge role. 
“The past year has been tough. I lost my best friend about a year ago tonight. Lost my grandmother last year. And all those things bring families closer, so I really can't thank them enough.
“Mr. Hendrick, for taking a chance on me and believing in me when a lot of people didn't. I think it really says a lot about him. And then to have a championship sponsor like NAPA, all of our partners, and Chevrolet, huge thanks to Team Hendrick and everybody at our shop that peaked at the right time. That's all we can ask for.”
Elliott’s Phoenix win was his fifth of the season—including three in the post-season. He scored 15 top fives and 22 top 10s. Elliott is the 34th different driver to win a Cup title and the sixth different champion under NASCAR’s elimination-style Playoffs, which debuted in 2014.

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 -Aric Almirola- I have not seen Almirola since we discussed the tasty bacon of his prior sponsor Smithfield a few years ago. That was about the last time Almirola won a NASCAR Cup race. His win at New Hampshire guaranteed him of making the playoffs. Almirola turned his 2021 frown upside down as a win was really his only chance of making the playoffs as he had only two top five finishes this season. 

- Christopher Bell has been lightning quick on road courses this season replacing Erik Jones in the Joe Gibbs # 20. Toyota was the favorite going into last weekend as they always run good in New Hampshire. Bell finished second and was the only non-Ford in the top six. Bell is a force and with his win at Daytona's road course, he is in the playoffs and will make some noise before the season is out. 

Ford- They took five of the top six spots at New Hampshire with Almirola, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Kevin Harvick all finishing in the top six. Great showing by team Ford. 

Those who lost track position are the drivers caught in silly season scenarios. 
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The silly season has drivers wondering if they have jobs in 2022. Drivers who are on the bubble are Erik Jones for Richard Petty, I thought he had a multi-year deal, but Petty has the option. Matt Dibenedetto is out at Wood Brothers as Harrison Burton takes his spot. Ryan Newman is out at Fenway/Roush but Jack Roush will recycle drivers if he needs to. Remember Matt Kenseth a few years ago?

Kurt Busch will most likely lose his gig after Chip Ganassi sold his team. Busch won in Atlanta and he gets to take the Monster Energy sponsorship with him wherever he goes. Bet you we see him again if he wants the gig. 

.​Statistically, Kasey Kahne just completed the greatest six-race stretch of his career with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
His four top-ten finishes were highlighted by a hard charging 23rd-to-fifth bid at Magnolia and a pole position at The Rev. The Enumclaw, WA native didn’t just fill the seat and turn some laps to collect points; he became a true contender to win on a nightly basis with The Greatest Show on Dirt.
By result of Kahne’s impressive numbers, his early-season success has the Kasey Kahne Racing, Karavan Trailers #9 in a good position with the World of Outlaws Owners Championship in mind. Beginning this weekend at Cotton Bowl Speedway, James McFadden will begin his tenure – sitting -82 out of the points lead – and Kahne will return to his role as team owner of McFadden’s #9 and Brad Sweet’s NAPA Auto Parts #49.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Kahne said on his driving duties. “I don’t really remember driving to every race this early in the year before, just running the World of Outlaws tour is pretty cool. I’ve really enjoyed it this last month or so. I’ve been working with the team more and more, and that’s been fun. Racing and running up and down the road, though, I kind of feel like a real World of Outlaws driver at the moment.”
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Michael McDowell hopes Daytona 500 win brings more success to team

By Jenna Fryer-DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Michael McDowell was best known for years as the guy who barrel-rolled eight times at Texas while trying to qualify for just the second race of his Cup Series career.
He'd driven through the remnants of an oil spill when McDowell's car made a hard right turn into the wall. The car rebounded, flipped o n its roof and went airborne for eight rolls before the flaming wreckage finally came to a stop on its wheels.
“It’s just one of those things that happened,” McDowell said. “But you definitely hope that people would know you for something better than that.”
- Advertisement -It took 13 years for him to change the narrative: McDowel l is now a Daytona 500 champion.
The journeyman earned the first win of his career — he was 0-357 before Daytona — by zipping past two crashing cars on the final lap. McDowell led for less than a mile in the wee hours Monday morning but it was all he needed to validate a career spent driving inferior cars.
Daytona is unlike any race on NASCAR's schedule in that underdogs have a chance if they can make it to the finish. It takes understanding the nuances of superspeedway racing — managing the draft, knowing who to push and how to do it, and using instinct to plot strategy at almost 200 mph.
McDowell has had the hang of it since at least 2013, when he scored his first career top-10 finish at Daytona. He has been a fixture near the front of the field since, particularly after he moved to Front Row Motorsports in 2018.
Although FRM is considered one of NASCAR's third-tier teams, it has a strong program for superspeedways and road courses, circuits that somewhat level the playing field. In four Daytona 500s driving the No. 34 Ford, McDowell finished fifth, ninth, 14th and, finally, first.
“This is definitely no fluke,” said three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. “I’ve said many times this is a skill game. He’s got the skill set to win these, and he finally got it done.”
The victory was just the third in 17 years for Front Row and owner Bob Jenkins. David Ragan won FRM's first race, in 2013 at Talladega Superspeedway, and Chris Buescher won at Pocono in 2016.
Jenkins doesn't think the sporadic success is indicative of the team he's built.
“I know the average fan is surprised when we win a race, but it never surprises me,” Jenkins said. "It’s taken a long time to get our third win and our first Daytona 500 win, but people don’t realize this is our third top-five in the Daytona 500. You want to win championships, but you’ve got to win races first.”
McDowell earlier this month said he doubted FRM could make the 16-car playoffs on points, so the priority had been earning an automatic berth via a race win. The schedule this year has a NASCAR-high seven road courses — the first is this Sunday at Daytona — and four superspeedways, which theoretically gave FRM a fighting chance to compete against NASCAR's elite.
FRM now has its first playoff berth in team history. More important, crew chief Drew Blickensderfer has 25 weeks to prepare for the championship rounds. He can overhaul his strategy to fixate less on decent finishes and instead aggressively chase stage points and victories in hopes of a deeper playoff run.
“All that matters right now is winning the stage or winning the race for us,” Blickensderfer said. "In the past, if you’re running at Pocono and you’re running seventh or eighth like we were last year, we were super happy to finish there.
"But right now seventh or eighth doesn’t do any better for us than 15th. So why not take a gamble and see if you can either steal another (win) or you can put yourself up in position to at least get some more points.”
McDowell will have a different approach to racing the rest of this season. He certainly wants to win more races, but he's got his Daytona 500 trophy now and can focus on helping FRM's growth.
“I think that you always have the fire and when you win that fire gets deeper, but we all know that’s not an every week thing for us and our race team right now,” McDowell said. "We know that on 26 of the racetracks, we’ll be happy to be in that top 10.
“I think this definitely gives us a lot of confidence. You always want more, but I am so thankful that I am not going to go my Cup career without a win. It’s such a relief to know that I won’t go 400 starts without a win. I’ve always said I want one, and I’ve got one now and obviously we want two, right?”
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Ricky Weiss Returning to World of Outlaws Late Model Series in 2021 with Championship Desire

World of Outlaws 2021 Schedule

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CANADIAN SENSATION BRINGS BACK DRYDENE AS SPONSOR, BUILDING HIS OWN CARS
By Brian Walker | December 4, 2020 at 5:48 pmIf statistical trends mean anything, 2021 will be the year of Ricky Weiss.
Today, the Headingly, Manitoba, Canada native confirmed that he’ll return to the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series in 2021 with his sights set on the $100,000 championship. After earning Racing Electronics Rookie of the Year honors with a third-place finish in 2019, then a runner-up result in 2020, all that remains for The Manitoba Missile is the prestigious title.
Continuing his relationship with Drydene Performance Products, Weiss is proudly bringing them back as the primary sponsor on his No. 7 for the second year now. He’ll keep Vic Hill power under the hood, but is making some changes elsewhere in his program.
Building his own chassis, Weiss has split with his Team Zero Race Cars over the off-season to build his own machines in 2021; a new adventure that he hopes will instill some new life in his budding operation.
“I feel more confident than ever going into this next year with our whole team,” Weiss said. “If you look back at where we started with the Outlaws in 2019 to where we are now, we’ve grown leaps and bounds. We were the top rookie, then we won some races, now I really want to go contend for a title with Brandon [Sheppard]. I’m proud to have Drydene back on board with us and ready to get the season rolling next month.”
With more than 55+ races on a massive 2021 slate spanning from January to November and Florida to North Dakota, a championship against The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will be no easy task. To earn the crown and write his name into the record books, Weiss will have to dethrone the modern-day king of the Outlaws: Brandon Sheppard, who enters a new year fresh off his third World of Outlaws title with Rocket1 Racing.
Tough? Sure. Possible? Absolutely.
Since joining the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series on a full-time basis in 2019, Weiss has certainly ascended up the ladder in his tenure. Why not climb just one position more?
Weiss finished 3rd in 2019, 2nd in 2020, now eyes 1st in 2021. [Jacy Norgaard Photo]

He went winless in year one, but came close to victory on countless occasions. Leading 82 laps across several different races, Weiss was slowly grooming himself into the title contender he would soon become. Backed by the consistency of 17 top five finishes and 30 top ten efforts in 41 shows, a third-place championship result gave him Rookie of the Year honors over Cade Dillard and propelled him into an even more successful sophomore season.

Led by his first career victories at Vado (N.M.) Speedway Park in January and Jackson (Minn.) Motorplex in May, Weiss recorded a career year in 2020 which saw him place second in the point standings. He set career highs in every statistical category with 150 laps led, 19 top five finishes and 31 top ten results. Solidifying that he was not only here to stay, but here to become a championship contender.
“Switching to our own cars is going to be a new challenge, but it’s something we’re ready for,” noted Weiss on the change. “To have our own resources and be able to make all of the adjustments that we can think of or desire will be good for us. We’ve been tinkering with a lot of things in the shop this off-season and doing a lot of fine tuning on this deal. I’m excited to get to Volusia next month and really start working on this thing at the track.”
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PAYING UP: World of Outlaws Increase Sprint Car Purses, Points Fund For 2021

By Nick Graziano-     Drivers competing with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in 2021 will have to make more room in their wallets.
The Series is increasing its single-day and two-day event purses for 2021, as well as the overall points funds. Every race will now pay a minimum $10,000-to-win and the points fund at the end of the season will payout more than $730,000 – about a $90,000 increase from 2020.
And for the event purses, it’s not just the winner’s share that’s increasing. There are increases throughout the entire field.
Single-day events will payout more than $55,800 in total and will pay $1,000-to-start. Two-day events will payout more than $108,000 in total with the first night paying $5,500 to second-place, $1,850 to 10th and $900-to-start, and the second night paying $6,000 to second, $2,000 to 10th and $1,000-to-start.
“We’re excited to provide drivers and teams with an increased purse for the 2021 season, especially after the burdens COVID-19 placed on them in 2020,” World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Director Carlton Reimers said. “The increase is a representation of the Series’ exciting continued growth, our commitment to our competitors and the growing support from the fans.”
The significance of the increase is not lost on the drivers either.
“Obviously, as a race car driver, trying to make a living racing, you want to race for the highest purses you can,” Two-time and defending World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet said. “I’m very happy that the World of Outlaws has taken the step to increase the purses. Definitely a step in the right direction.”
The championship will again payout $150,000 between the winning driver and team in 2021, but second-place and down will see significant increases. Among the increases include, second-place paying $100,000, third paying $60,000, fifth paying $50,000 and 15th paying $13,000.
Along with the purse increase, the 2021 season will see the return of several big paying events, including the Aug. 11-14 60th NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway, which will pay a potential $200,000 to the winner.
A five-race “Showdown” event between the two-day (June 21-22) Huset’s 50 at Huset’s Speedway and the three-day (June 24-26) Jackson Nationals at Jackson Motorplex will offer an extra $100,000 if a driver can win the finale of both World of Outlaws events.
The 2021 season will kick off Feb. 5-7 at Volusia Speedway Park for the 50th DIRTcar Nationals in Barberville, FL. For tickets, click here. The entire 2021 schedule will be released soon.

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