Former NASCAR champion to attempt Indy 500Story 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
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.” 
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
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
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Our interview with NASCAR driver Chase BriscoeCHASE 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
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.) 
NHRA RELEASES 2023 SCHEDULE FOR NINE-RACE HOT ROD HERITAGE RACING SERIESINDIANAPOLIS (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
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Musings of a Filterless Reporter- Roy J. Akers
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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.
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
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Bubba Wallace on 2021 and more...XFinity MIS Race final laps of New Holland 250
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. 
NASCAR at Atlanta race results: Kurt Busch wins Cup raceKurt 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.
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. 
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
Video interview: 2019 Indy winner talks to Roy J. Akers on his win and driving for the CaptainJuan Pablo Montoya has a home in a new racing seriesAric Almirola on NASCAR
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