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Author: Briar Starr

  • Grant Enfinger scores Martinsville victory, locks into Championship 4

    Grant Enfinger scores Martinsville victory, locks into Championship 4

    Despite a bundle of late-race cautions in the final 20 laps on Friday night at Martinsville, Grant Enfinger, who was in a must-win situation, held off his ThorSport teammate Ben Rhodes to claim his spot in the Championship 4 by winning the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200.

    “It was tough; we knew we were going to have to take our gloves off and fight for this one,” Enfinger said after celebrating with his team. “It’s been an up and down season for us, but we tended to peak when we needed to. And now I feel really good about our chances at Phoenix.”

    No Trucks were sent to the rear following prerace inspection and Sheldon Creed was on the pole based on the metric system. Stages of 50-50-100 made up the 200-lap event.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 50

    When the green flag flew, the battle for the lead was between GMS drivers Sheldon Creed and Zane Smith with Creed taking the lead on Lap 12 and leading through the early portions of the race. Three cautions would slow the first stage. The first yellow came on Lap 14 with a major stack up on the frontstretch. Tanner Gray was spun after contact from the No. 02 of Tate Fogleman. Others involved included Ray Ciccarelli, Danny Bohn, Trevor Bayne and Codie Rohrbaugh.

    During the pit stops, Bayne was penalized for removing equipment while Rohrbaugh was penalized for pitting too soon.

    Another yellow flew on Lap 49 when the No. 44 of Natalie Decker was bumped from behind by the No. 3 of Jordan Anderson. From there, a 19 lap green-flag run occurred before Clay Greenfield in the No. 68 spun in Turn 3, bringing out a late-stage yellow and ending the first stage under caution. Sheldon Creed took the stage victory with Crafton, Sauter, Zane Smith, Rhodes, Moffitt, Eckes, Enfinger, Lessard, and Friesen completing the Top 10 stage finishers.

    Stage 2: Lap 59 – Lap 100

    A lot of action was seen throughout Stage 2 including problems for Austin Hill in the No. 16. Hill, who recently announced his return to Hattori Racing in 2021, began experiencing engine-related issues as his truck began shutting off and on.

    Meanwhile, two drivers had tire issues. On Lap 72, Parker Kligerman in the No. 75, had a left-front tire go down after contact with Austin Hill, while the race leader, Sheldon Creed, experienced a left-rear flat.

    Fortunately for Kligerman and Creed, both drivers caught a break a few laps later when the No. 68 of Greenfield would once again bring the caution out in Turn 3. During the caution, problems continued to get worse for Hill as the team attempted to diagnose his engine problem. The issue was found during a Lap 90 caution, as it was reported that Hill had a dead cylinder.

    Unfortunately for the Georgia native, the truck quit running on Lap 117 and he was credited with a 35th place finish which ended any chance of making it to the Championship 4.

    The stage would restart with two to go on Lap 98 and featured exciting action as Stewart Friesen in the No. 52 picked up his first stage win of the 2020 season. Crafton, Enfinger, Lessard, Moffitt, Ankrum, Eckes, Sauter, Hocevar, and Rhodes were the Top 10.

    it was at this very moment, we would see Enfinger’s first glimpse at the lead, as the No. 98 team used a different pit strategy during the stage break, staying out to assume the lead for the Stage 3 restart.

    Stage 3: Lap 112 – Lap 200

    As in most cases, Stage 3 saw the most action and the most yellows with six yellows flown through the remaining 88 laps.

    It would seem as though once a restart took place, another yellow would ensue which created a couple of harrowing moments for Enfinger who was trying to race his way in for a Championship 4 spot. On a Lap 161 restart, his teammate Johnny Sauter spun his tires and fell back to 18th with Enfinger right on his back bumper. Enfinger wrestled the lead away but was once again involved in a caution with 25 to go when Sheldon Creed, who was battling with Enfinger, got spun in Turn 4 after contact by the No. 98 truck.

    Things weren’t looking so great for Enfinger with the restart that came with 10 to go, as he restarted in the fourth position with some stronger trucks in front of him, including Raphael Lessard and Brett Moffitt. But the Alabaman caught a lucky break just one lap later when the No. 4 of Lessard wrecked in Turn 2 with contact from the No. 99 of Rhodes after Rhodes was caught from behind by the No. 23 of Moffitt.

    Following the yellow, the restart came with two laps to go with Enfinger and Rhodes making up the front row and both needing a victory to advance to the Championship 4. As fate would have it, Enfinger fended off Rhodes and got his fourth win of the year.

    Rhodes, unfortunately, finished second and would miss out on making the Championship 4 by just one position.

    “We had a shot, but first off, congrats to Grant they worked their butts off all year,” Rhodes said of his teammate. “They have three wins, this is their fourth, they deserve it. We were racing as hard as we can. Didn’t have the speed we needed but we hung around and my team had good strategy all day long. It’s just unfortunate.”

    There were 11 cautions for 82 laps and 16 lead changes among nine different leaders.

    Those racing for the championship include Sheldon Creed, Brett Moffitt, Grant Enfinger and Zane Smith. The driver who has the has the best finish of these four contenders next week at Phoenix International Raceway will win the Truck Series championship.

    Official Results following the NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

    1. Grant Enfinger, led 49 laps
    2. Ben Rhodes, led one lap
    3. Zane Smith, led 20 laps
    4. Christian Eckes
    5. Matt Crafton, led six laps
    6. Stewart Friesen, won Stage 2, led five laps
    7. Danny Bohn
    8. Sheldon Creed, won Stage 1, led 65 laps
    9. Austin Wayne Self
    10. Derek Kraus
    11. Trevor Bayne
    12. Tyler Ankrum
    13. Carson Hocevar, led five laps
    14. Timmy Hill
    15. Spencer Boyd
    16. Dawson Cram
    17. Brandon Jones
    18. Sam Mayer, OUT, Crash
    19. Jordan Anderson, 1 lap down
    20. Raphael Lessard, 1 lap down
    21. Clay Greenfield, 2 laps down
    22. B.J. McLeod, 2 laps down
    23. Johnny Sauter, 3 laps down
    24. Parker Kligerman, 4 laps down
    25. Ray Ciccarelli, 4 laps down
    26. Norm Benning, 4 laps down
    27. Natalie Decker, 5 laps down
    28. Brett Moffitt, OUT, Crash
    29. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 26 laps down
    30. Ryan Truex, 31 laps down
    31. Tanner Gray, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    32. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Overheating
    33. Spencer Davis, OUT, Brakes
    34. Codie Rohrbaugh, OUT, Overheating
    35. Austin Hill, OUT, Engine
    36. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Crash
    37. Josh Reaume, OUT, Transmission

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will head to their final race of the season to decide a champion at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, Nov. 6 live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Eddie Krawiec, Aaron Stanfield, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Tony Schumacher victorious at Houston Nationals

    Eddie Krawiec, Aaron Stanfield, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Tony Schumacher victorious at Houston Nationals

    The Houston Nationals at Houston Raceway Park marked the 33rd annual SpringNationals on Sunday afternoon, where the racetrack featured some thrilling and exciting action.

    Eddie Krawiec, Aaron Stanfield, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Tony Schumacher were victorious in their respective classes following the completion of the second to last NHRA race of the season.

    Top Fuel

    In Top Fuel, No. 1 qualifier Steve Torrence looked to continue his dominant 2020 season success Sunday by being the No. 1 qualifier for the 27th time of his NHRA career. Torrence had a bye run in the first round, while he won against Shawn Langdon in Round 2 going 3.686 seconds and 328.46 mph, and then advanced to the semifinals with a victory over Don Schumacher Racing driver Antron Brown to get to the finals. Meanwhile, rival and competitor Tony Schumacher hadn’t been to victory lane in over two years with his last victory coming at Bristol in 2018.

    Schumacher qualified second on Saturday afternoon after posting a time of 3.685 seconds and 330.07 mph, with a first-round opponent, the No. 15 qualifier Cameron Ferre. Schumacher would win over Ferre with a time of 3.712 seconds, and 319.37 mph, then won against Doug Foley in Round 2 and defeated Billy Torrence in the semis to help get Don Schumacher Racing in the finals against Steve Torrence.

    It’s not too often you get a No. 1 qualifier and No. 2 qualifier to face each other in the final rounds, but that’s what occurred with Torrence and Schumacher. As fate would have it, Schumacher ousted Torrence in the final for his 85th career Top Fuel victory and his first win of the year. Schumacher went 3.669 seconds and 330.63 mph over Torrence’s 3.687 seconds and 330.07 mph.

    “This is an incredible opportunity and I’m going to display this trophy proudly,” said Schumacher, who won for the first time since the 2018 Bristol race. “I’m super happy for the guys. This is our home track. My fiancé [Summer] and her family are from here and they’re all here today. Half of my neighbors in Austin have come out today and have never been here before. They just saw two of the best semifinal and final rounds you’re ever going to see. I don’t know what that came down to, but I’m guessing inches and thousandths of a second. That’s what it’s about. It’s about the people who showed up here in the stands, the people who worked so hard on this car. We just love the opportunity. We’ve got one more in Vegas and I’m looking forward to that, it’s one of my favorite tracks coming up. I want to win Vegas because you get the whole off-season to think about it.”

    Tony Schumacher Celebrates 85th Career National Victory, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

    By finishing second, Torrence ended up with the 21st runner-up of his NHRA career and the second of the season.

    “That was a helluva drag race,” admitted a disappointed Torrence. “To be honest, we did exactly what we wanted. In hindsight, I don’t think we’d change anything. They took a shot and made it work. That’s why they won all those championships. The bottom line is we know we’re taking a great car to Vegas. I can’t wait to get started. I wish we were racing tomorrow.”

    Top Fuel Results

    1. Tony Schumacher
    2. Steve Torrence
    3. Billy Torrence
    4. Antron Brown
    5. Leah Pruett
    6. Doug Kalitta
    7. Doug Foley
    8. Shawn Langdon
    9. Clay Millican
    10. Joe Morrison
    11. Scott Palmer
    12. Justin Ashley
    13. Lee Callaway
    14. Kebin Kinsley
    15. Cameron Ferre

    Funny Car

    Following their 12th consecutive victory at the Texas Motorplex last Sunday, Don Schumacher Racing continues to carry momentum late in the season from when Tommy Johnson Jr. gave Schumacher their 13th consecutive win. Johnson Jr. ended up facing his teammate Ron Capps in the finals and won with an E.T. of 3.929 seconds and 321.04 mph to pick up his 22nd career Funny Car victory. The victory was Johnson’s third of the year.

    “It was a must-win,” said Johnson, who is aiming to close out his seven-year Chandler family ‘giving car’ run by delivering his first Funny Car world title for Doug Chandler. “We get close and then we stumble, and we think we’re out of it, and here we come again. We just keep coming back. It’s like a heavyweight battle and when we get knocked down, we get back up and keep swinging. I’m just really proud of these guys. They never quit. I’m just super happy with the fight in these guys and this has got drama written all over it when we go to Vegas. You’ve got to keep digging and you knew the final round was going to be a great race. It’s definitely been different this year, but once you fire the engine it’s no different. (Crew chiefs) John Collins, Rip Reynolds, and the whole MD Anderson team has done a really good job under some tough circumstances.”

    Tommy Johnson Jr Celebrates Winning the Houston Nationals, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

    Johnson Jr. claimed victories over Jim Campbell in Round 1, JR Todd in Round 2 and teammate Matt Hagan in the semis which ultimately set up the final round victory over Capps.

    Capps on the other hand, will have to settle for his 59th career runner-up finish after falling a little bit short to Johnson Jr. The runner-up finish was his first of the year, despite being an upset to his teammate and No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman in the first round.

    “We were trying to implement some new parts and do some testing, and that’s hard to do with only two qualifying runs and you definitely don’t want to do that on Sunday,” Capps said. “That put us behind. But I say it time and time again, coming in Sunday morning, I’ve never thought we didn’t have a chance at winning the race no matter what position we start from. We sure had the FOX TV people scrambling to see when the last time someone won from the 16th spot.

    “You hate to knock out a teammate in the championship, but it’s mano-a-mano up there, and Sunday morning you have one of the leading cars in the points race, and we knew we were capable. It’s just one of those ‘grind ‘em out’ days. These are the weekends where you look back at the end of the season and you sort of circle them and you remember that this is where most teams would have gone out early and we gutted out a lot of big round wins and 20 points here and there. When you’re running great and things don’t go wrong, it seems a little easier.

    “Today was one of those knock-down, drag-out fights. In the semifinals, I stayed in the throttle and I didn’t see Alexis (DeJoria). In a nitro Funny Car, when you stay in the throttle bad things can happen and unfortunately, we hurt the beautiful Pennzoil body. But fortunately, we have great sponsors with Pennzoil and NAPA AUTO PARTS and we have plenty of parts at DSR and we have four days to get to (Las) Vegas and do it again.”

    Capps got to the final with victories over Beckman in Round 1, Cruz Pedregon in the second round and Alexis Dejoria in the semis before losing to Johnson Jr. in the finals.

    Funny Car Results

    1. Tommy Johnson JR
    2. Ron Capps
    3. Matt Hagan
    4. Alexis Dejoria
    5. Cruz Pedregon
    6. Bob Tasca III
    7. J.R. Todd
    8. Blake Alexander
    9. Bobby Bode
    10. Dave Richards
    11. Jack Beckman
    12. Chad Green
    13. Tim Wilkerson
    14. Paul Lee
    15. Jim Campbell
    16. Terry Haddock

    Pro Stock

    In the Pro Stock category, it was an emotional day for Aaron Stanfield and company, who picked up his first ever career NHRA Pro Stock victory. Stanfield came close to victory earlier this season at Gainesville when he was a runner-up to Alex Laughlin.

    Stanfield qualified fourth after the two rounds of qualifying on Saturday to give him a first round matchup against No. 13 qualifier Kenny Delco. Stanfield won over Delco in the first round, Troy Coughlin Jr. in round two, and Kyle Korestky that helped him get to the final round facing Jeg Coughlin Jr.

    Stanfield went 6.535 seconds and 211.03 mph over Coughlin Jr’s 6.611 seconds and 207.53 mph en route to an emotional victory on Sunday.

    “I definitely can’t put this into words,” Stanfield said. “I remember listening to my dad race and I’ve dreamed of the day that I could hold up a Pro Stock Wally ever since I was a little guy watching my dad race. It’s always been at the top of my goals. I tried to stay as calm as I could, but I knew my guys had my best interests in mind. I stayed focused, we did our job and we got it done. To be honest, this whole day has been crazy, just accomplishing huge, huge dreams. I haven’t had time to soak it all in, but what my dad has taught me is to clear your head and focus on what you need to do. That’s what I was able to do today.”

    Aaron Stanfield Claims 48th Career Win, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

    Jeg Coughlin Jr. would have to settle for the second runner-up of his NHRA career.

    Pro Stock Results

    1. Aaron Stanfield
    2. Jeg Coughlin
    3. Kyle Koretsky
    4. Greg Anderson
    5. Alex Laughlin
    6. Erica Enders
    7. Chris McGaha
    8. Troy Coughlin Jr
    9. Jason Line
    10. Matt Hartford
    11. Deric Kramer
    12. Mason McGaha
    13. Kenny Delco
    14. Bo Butner
    15. Fernando Caudra
    16. Bruno Massel

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    Eddie Krawiec was successful after beating Ryan Oehler in the final round. Krawiec had an E.T. of 6.801 seconds and 198.61 mph over Oehler’s 6.905 seconds and 181.37 mph to secure his first victory of the season and the 48th of his NHRA career.

    Krawiec won over Michael Phillips in Round 1, Jerry Savoie in the second and a semi-final victory over Hector Arana Jr. that preceded the final round match up with Oehler. The Houston National win marked Krawiec’s first victory since Atlanta of 2018.

    “I can tell you one thing; don’t take a Wally for granted because sometimes they don’t come,” said Krawiec, who had lost nine-straight final rounds following his Brainerd win, including five-straight against his teammate, Andrew Hines. “Sometimes it’s not what you because sometimes luck just rolls your way. With two plus years being out of it, it just feels good. I feel like I’ve accomplished everything I need to and don’t have to prove anyting. but  it’s nice just to get it done. There is a lot of great racers in the class and you can’t take anyting for granted. Take every win for what it is and enjoy it. We now have four or five bikes fighting for the championship so it’s great racing and it’s the way it should be.”

    Eddie Kraweic Rockets to Houston Victory, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

    1. Eddie Krawiec
    2. Ryan Oehler
    3. Hector Arana Jr
    4. Matt Smith
    5. Andrew Hines
    6. Scotty Pollacheck
    7. David Barron
    8. Jerry Savoie
    9. John Hall
    10. Kelly Clontz
    11. Michael Phillips
    12. Chris Bostick
    13. Angelle Sampey
    14. Angie Smith
    15. Steve Johnson
    16. Marc Ingwersen

    Updated Top Fuel Points Standings

    1. Steve Torrence. 868 points
    2. Doug Kalitta, -101
    3. Billy Torrence, -193
    4. Leah Pruett, -198
    5. Shawn Langdon, -324
    6. Antron Brown, -334
    7. Justin Ashley, -383
    8. Terry McMillen, -453
    9. Clay Millican, -454

    Updated Funny Car Standings

    1. Matt Hagan, 842 points
    2. Tommy Johnson Jr, -42
    3. Jack Beckman, -43
    4. Ron Capps, -163
    5. Bob Tasca III, -247
    6. J.R. Todd, -258
    7. Tim Wilkerson, -272
    8. Alexis Dejoria, -353
    9. Cruz Pedregon, -454
    10. Paul Lee, -460

    Updated Pro Stock Standings

    1. Erica Enders, 753 points
    2. Jeg Coughlin, -55
    3. Jason Line, -55
    4. Greg Anderson, -183
    5. Matt Hartford, -206
    6. Alex Laughlin, -222
    7. Aaron Stanfield, -270
    8. Chris McGaha, -319
    9. Deric Kramer, -348
    10. Bo Butner, -355

    Updated Pro Stock Motorcycle Standings

    1. Matt Smith, 542 points
    2. Scotty Pollacheck, -58
    3. Andrew Hines, -66
    4. Angelle Sampey, -95
    5. Eddie Krawiec, -118
    6. Ryan Oehler, -203
    7. Angie Smith, -204
    8. Steve Johnson, -239
    9. Jerry Savoie, -239
    10. Hector Arana Jr, -258

    Up Next: The NHRA Camping World Series will look to finish out the 2020 season schedule at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Dodge World Finals, with qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 31 and the championship eliminations held on Sunday, Nov. 1.

  • Sheldon Creed locks into Championship 4 with Texas Victory

    Sheldon Creed locks into Championship 4 with Texas Victory

    With just three races left in the 2020 Truck Series season, Texas Motor Speedway was the site for race No. 2 in the Round of 8 Playoffs.

    Sheldon Creed won in an overtime restart after fending off a hard-charging Austin Hill late in the going. Creed had one of the dominate trucks throughout the race, winning Stage 1, before taking the lead once again inside 15 to go and claiming the third victory of his career.

    “Two trucks locked in for the organization, that’s awesome and hopefully we can get the other two (Zane Smith and Tyler Ankrum) or at least one more next weekend,” Creed said. “Hard racing today. Man, it’s crazy. We’ve just been working for this all year, and I feel like I’ve improved so much and put so much work into this. Man, going to Martinsville stress-free is so nice.”

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 35

    The first stage was relatively calm until two laps to go. The No. 49 of Timothy Viens brought out the first accident of the day when Viens hit the Turn 4 wall. With the caution coming out so late in the stage, NASCAR officials decided to end the stage under yellow, which gave Creed the stage victory. Austin Hill, Moffitt, Rhodes, Crafton, Chandler Smith, Eckes, Zane Smith, Enfinger, and Gilliland completed the Top 10.

    Stage 2: Lap 40 – Lap 71

    After the restart for Stage 2, the No. 40 Niece Motorsports truck of Ryan Truex was penalized for a restart violation. Truex would later be out of the race due to a broken trackbar.

    A few moments later on Lap 42, the No. 68 of Clay Greenfield had hard contact with the Turn 2 wall following an incident with the No. 56 of Tyler Hill. One more caution would fly on Lap 53 when the No. 02 of Tate Fogleman crashed off the exit of Turn 4.

    The restart came on Lap 57 with playoff driver Matt Crafton passing Creed for the lead on Lap 65. Crafton hung onto the top spot and won the second stage over Creed. Rhodes, Zane Smith, Kraus, Chandler Smith, Eckes, Austin Hill, Enfinger, and Moffitt wrapped up the Top 10.

    Stage 3: Lap 77 – Lap 152

    The third and final stage had the most incidents of the afternoon with six cautions during the last stage.

    The first of those yellows occurred at Lap 93 as the No. 98 of Grant Enfinger was in a must-win situation going into Martinsville. The No. 98 ended up blowing up with smoke down the backstretch creating the fifth yellow of the day.

    As the race wore down, tempers started to heat up between drivers, especially Ben Rhodes and Chandler Smith who were involved in incidents. First, on Lap 107, Rhodes blocked Gilliland’s strong run going into Turns 1 and 2 causing Gilliland to crash hard in the Turn 2 wall. Then later in the race on Lap 146, the Kentucky native intentionally turned the No. 18 of Christian Eckes on the frontstretch creating the second to last yellow of the race.

    Meanwhile, Chandler Smith was involved in an accident with the No. 15 of Tanner Gray at Lap 118. Smith’s day went from bad to worse when the left-rear tire fell off the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra machine following a pit stop for repairs.

    When the yellow flew for the Rhodes and Eckes accident, it brought out the 11th overtime restart in Texas Motor Speedway Truck Series history.

    The late-race yellow would necessitate a restart on Lap 151, past the scheduled distance of 147 laps.

    Nonetheless, Sheldon Creed was able to punch his Championship 4 ticket by holding off Austin Hill for the victory and joining his GMS Racing teammate Brett Moffitt at Phoenix.

    There were 10 cautions for 49 laps and 14 lead changes among six different drivers.

    Creed led eight times for 131 laps en route to victory and picked up six playoff points.

    Official Results following the SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    1. Sheldon Creed, won Stage 1, led 131 laps, Advanced Championship 4
    2. Austin Hill (Playoff driver), led one lap
    3. Zane Smith (Playoff driver)
    4. Raphael Lessard
    5. Brett Moffitt (Playoff driver), Already advanced to Championship 4
    6. Matt Crafton (Playoff driver), won Stage 2, led 13 laps
    7. Austin Wayne Self
    8. Dylan Lupton
    9. Derek Kraus, led two laps
    10. Tanner Gray
    11. Tyler Hill
    12. Chase Purdy
    13. Jordan Anderson
    14. Spencer Boyd
    15. James Buescher
    16. Tyler Ankrum (Playoff driver)
    17. Danny Bohn
    18. Dawson Cram
    19. Josh Bilicki, OUT, Crash
    20. Ben Rhodes, led one lap, 1 lap down
    21. Chandler Smith, 1 lap down
    22. Ray Ciccarelli, 1 lap down
    23. Johnny Sauter, 2 laps down
    24. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 3 laps down
    25. Christian Eckes, OUT, Crash
    26. Norm Benning, 9 laps down
    27. Josh Reaume, OUT, Brakes
    28. Stewart Friesen, OUT, Crash
    29. Trevor Bayne, OUT, Engine
    30. Natalie Decker, OUT, Vibration
    31. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Crash
    32. Grant Enfinger, OUT, Engine
    33. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Crash
    34. Ryan Truex, OUT, Suspension
    35. Clay Greenfield, OUT, Crash
    36. Trey Hutchens, OUT, Ignition
    37. Tim Viens, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will continue their playoff schedule with the last race in the Round of 8 at Martinsville Speedway Friday night, Oct. 30th, live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • NHRA field set for SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park

    NHRA field set for SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park

    On a somber Saturday afternoon at Houston Raceway Park, NHRA teams and drivers took to the track for their respective qualifying rounds for the second to last race of the year.

    Prior to the qualifying sessions taking place, NHRA paid their respects with a video to fallen team member Eric Lane (former co-crew chief on Cruz Pedregon’s team), who was tragically killed this past week. For those wanting to donate to help out Lane’s family, please visit the Go Fund Me page here. Those also interested in sending flowers or cards to the family can send them to:

    Cruz Pedregon Racing
    ATTN: Lane Family
    462 Southpoint Circ.
    Brownsburg, Indiana 46112

    In addition, the team will have a donation box set up at their tent in the garage area.

    After the emotional opening, the two qualifying rounds took place for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycles.

    Top Fuel

    Looking to continue his late season dominance was last week’s winner Steve Torrence, who previously scored his 40th national win at the Dallas Nationals. The Longview, Texas native earned his 27th career No. 1 qualifier and the third at Houston Raceway Park. Torrence went 3.672 and 3.689 seconds in the two rounds of qualifying Saturday afternoon that places him in a bye during the first round. From there, Torrence will either face Shawn Langdon or Justin Ashley in the second round of eliminations Sunday morning.

    “(Crew chief) Richard Hogan and these Capco boys have got this hot rod running on mean right now,” Torrence said. “I think that’s eight straight runs at 3.720 or better. That just gives a driver so much confidence going up there (to the starting line).”

    Torrence extended his championship points lead on second place Doug Kalitta to 61 points, which was previously at 51. Should Torrence win Sunday at Houston, it will cross off one of the tracks where he has not yet won in his NHRA career, with the other being Brainerd International Raceway located in Minnesota.

    Last week’s runner-up, Billy Torrence, (Steve’s dad) qualified in the third position after posting a time of 3.701 seconds. Billy will face No. 14 qualifier Joe Morrison.

    First Round competitions

    1. Steve Torrence, 3.672 seconds, 327.98 mph vs. Bye; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.685, 330.07 vs. 15. Cameron Ferre, 10.492, 70.27; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.701, 327.74 vs. 14. Joe Morrison, 7.028, 89.62; 4. Antron Brown, 3.741, 326.87 vs. 13. Scott Palmer, 6.440, 99.46; 5. Doug Kalitta, 3.764, 269.78 vs. 12. Kebin Kinsley, 5.235, 132.11; 6. Leah Pruett, 3.767, 324.20 vs. 11. Lee Callaway, 4.131, 224.88; 7. Clay Millican, 3.802, 276.58 vs. 10. Doug Foley, 3.913, 301.87; 8. Shawn Langdon, 3.812, 269.67 vs. 9. Justin Ashley, 3.881, 256.99. 

    Funny Car

    In the Funny Car division, Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckman earned some points by once again being fast in qualifying. Beckman, the Dallas Nationals winner, scored the No. 1 qualifier by going 4.093 and 242.58 mph in Round 1 while going 3.884 seconds and 328.14 mph in the second round. By doing so, Beckman gains three additional points for setting the pace in both qualifying rounds.

    “If we beat four people tomorrow, they’ll hand us another trophy,’ Beckman said following his No. 1 qualifier effort. “I didn’t ever think, with 17 cars here, that (Ron) Capps would be the No. 16 qualifier but I’m happy. We know we are going to have to earn this championship. I’d rather take it from the No. 1 spot because Matt (Hagan) had a four-point lead coming in. He stretched that out in Q1 and now we tightened that (points) back up a little bit.”

    Don Schumacher Racing has been on fire as of late and they’ll look forward to potentially getting their 13th consecutive final round victory with Beckman hoping to be the one to deliver the victory to the team.

    “The streak of the Don Schumacher Racing cars is awesome but it’s also ulcer-inducing because it’s always one of our cars next to us to when we go to the late rounds, or in tomorrow’s case, round one,” Beckman continued. “Four win lights tomorrow is what we need.”

    Beckman will have lane choice and will square off against his Don Schumacher teammate Ron Capps in Round 1, who qualified 16th. The No. 1 qualifier was Beckman’s 28th of his NHRA Funny Car career.

    First Round competitions

    1. Jack Beckman, Dodge Charger, 3.884, 328.14 vs. 16. Ron Capps, Charger, 5.295, 136.44; 2. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.907, 327.74 vs. 15. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 5.269, 169.85; 3. J.R. Todd, Toyota Camry, 3.923, 328.62 vs. 14. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 5.021, 150.48; 4. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.928, 325.22 vs. 13. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.492, 190.59; 5. Alexis DeJoria, Camry, 3.958, 308.21 vs. 12. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.291, 225.71; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 3.973, 317.94 vs. 11. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.120, 309.70; 7. Bobby Bode III, Mustang, 4.024, 259.51 vs. 10. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.077, 302.62; 8. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.041, 298.47 vs. 9. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.062, 294.88. Did Not Qualify: 17. Todd Simpson, 7.606, 85.74. 

    Pro Stock

    Up next was the Pro Stock division. Alex Laughlin, in the TexPlex Park/Havoline Chevrolet Camaro, went 6.506 seconds, and 210.73 mph to qualify on the pole in the Pro Stock category. The pole position was Laughlin’s third of his NHRA career and the first of the 2020 season.

    Laughlin will be scheduled to face No. 16 Fernando Caudra in the first round. Caudra posted a time of 6.506 seconds, and 208.20 mph to give him 16th for the first round.

    1. Alex Laughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.506, 210.73 vs. 16. Fernando Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.605, 208.20; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.517, 212.23 vs. 15. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.593, 209.04; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.517, 211.36 vs. 14. Bruno Massel, Camaro, 6.578, 209.72; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.520, 211.30 vs. 13. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.558, 210.50; 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.527, 210.70 vs. 12. Troy Coughlin Jr., Mustang, 6.546, 209.56; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.528, 210.14 vs. 11. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.546, 209.82; 7. Jason Line, Camaro, 6.532, 211.79 vs. 10. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.541, 210.57; 8. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.540, 211.23 vs. 9. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.540, 210.34. Did Not Qualify: 17. Val Smeland, 6.638, 209.07; 18. Alan Prusiensky, 6.664, 196.30; 19. Cristian Cuadra, 24.214, 29.40. 

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    Finally, Pro Stock Motorcycle took to the track for their qualifying sessions. Matt Smith, the King, North Carolina native, won his 43rd career No. 1 qualifier after going 6.729 seconds and 199.88 mph. The top spot was Smith’s fifth of the season. The DENSO Auto Parts/Stockseth/MSR EBR driver will face No. 16 Marc Ingwersen who broke in qualifying.

     1. Matt Smith, EBR, 6.729, 199.88 vs. 16. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, broke; 2. Angelle Sampey, Harley-Davidson, 6.789, 198.88 vs. 15. David Barron, EBR, 15.035, 48.32; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson, 6.799, 197.48 vs. 14. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 7.655, 189.52; 4. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.808, 197.08 vs. 13. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.967, 191.43; 5. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.811, 197.65 vs. 12. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.958, 192.22; 6. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.836, 193.71 vs. 11. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.935, 190.46; 7. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.842, 199.17 vs. 10. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.919, 195.82; 8. John Hall, Suzuki, 6.875, 193.05 vs. 9. Scotty Pollacheck, EBR, 6.900, 197.36. 

    NHRA eliminations are scheduled to take place Sunday morning at 10 a.m. local time for the 33rd annual Houston Spring Nationals, with coverage on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

  • NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Kansas II

    NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings – Kansas II

    After a wet race at the Charlote Roval the week prior, the NASCAR Xfinity Series came to play at a dry, but windy Kansas Speedway this past Saturday night.

    Chase Briscoe collected his ninth win of the year and now adds his name to the Championship 4 for the Xfinity Series when they go to Phoenix International Raceway in a couple of weeks. Briscoe dominated leading 159 of the scheduled 200 laps for his 11th career Xfinity Series win.

    While Briscoe grabbed the win once again, a scary accident broke out in Turn 1 on Lap 174 when the No. 21 of Anthony Alfredo went upside down after contact with the No. 7 of Justin Allgaier who was on the apron at the time. Thankfully for Alfredo, he was able to walk away unscathed from the incident.

    After the incident, the other highest finishing playoff driver was Ryan Sieg who finished third by playing pit strategy and pitting for fresh tires.

    Now, we’ll take a look at how some of the other Xfinity Series drivers fared after the Kansas Lottery 300.

    1. Chase Briscoe – Briscoe kept his winning streak alive, gaining his ninth of the year after sweeping both stages Saturday. He led a race-high of 159 laps and now can breathe a little bit easier for the next couple of weeks as he is now locked into the championship event. Briscoe will certainly be a favorite for the title once that time comes.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    2. Brandon Jones – Jones had some good news prior to the event. It was announced by the Joe Gibbs Racing team that he would return to the No. 19 Toyota for the 2021 Xfinity Series season. Jones took home his 17th Top 10 of the year after placing in the ninth position. He also placed second in both stages.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    3. Ryan Sieg – Sieg finished third after leading 19 laps and earned his seventh top five of the 2020 season. The Georgian finished eighth in both stages in addition to his efforts on Saturday night.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    4. Justin Haley – Haley bounced back this week to a fourth-place finish following his forgettable Roval outing of 35th due to a crash. The Kaulig driver placed 10th in Stage 1 but is fifth in the standings, one position below the cut line. Stage victories at Texas and Martinsville can certainly help things along the way to move him into the Championship 4.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Ross Chastain – While 12th certainly wasn’t the night Chastain had hoped for, the finish could have been much worse considering he was involved in two accidents. One occurred on Lap 16 and the other on Lap 169. On the Lap 169 accident, the Floridan received right-rear bumper damage to the No. 10 machine. Fortunately for Chastain, he was able to save the car from more damage and a potentially disastrous points day. Chastain also collected stage finishes of fifth in Stage 1 and 2.

    Fell Out

    1. Austin Cindric – Cindric was involved in an accident with Noah Gragson on the backstretch just 16 laps into the race. The accident ultimately hurt the Team Penske drivers’ chances as Cindric came home in the 28th position, several laps down.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    2. Noah Gragson – Gragson’s last-place result was the outcome after the early accident. Moving forward, Gragson will have to win in order to make those points to be a part of the Championship 4.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    3. Alex Labbe – A 23rd place finish was all Labbe could do one week following his fourth-place finish at the ROVAL.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
  • NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Kansas II

    NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Kansas II

    In a rare event, the Truck Series competed for the second time at Kansas Speedway, after two previous races on July 24 and 25 earlier this season. Brett Moffitt won Saturday afternoon after a battle with his GMS Racing teammate Zane Smith.

    Moffitt blocked Smith going into Turns 3 and 4, causing Smith to go sideways and bringing out a late-race yellow. Despite the contact between the teammates, Moffitt is now in the Championship 4 for a third consecutive year dating back to his championship year in 2018.

    Smith, however, lost out on an opportunity after having the dominant truck and leading 37 laps, only to finish 11th. The Huntington Beach, CA native now sits fourth in the standings, only seven points above the cut line. The next two races at Texas and Martinsville won’t be easy for Smith but if he can manage his own race and win a couple of stages, he looks good to make the Championship 4 as long as he does not suffer any engine failures or other issues along the way.

    With Moffitt winning for the 12th time in his career, we’ll take a look at how others did following Saturday’s race at Kansas Speedway.

    1. Sheldon Creed – Had there been one more lap, we could have been a different story in terms of a winner. Sheldon Creed had the best truck early on throughout the first two stages of the race, sweeping them both. Creed led a race-high of 61 laps en route to a second-place finish, earning his seventh top five of the season. Currently, Creed is 26 points above the cut line and could lock himself into the Championship 4 in the next two races.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
    2. Austin Hill – Despite the contact with competitor Christian Eckes, the No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises team rebounded to a third-place finish after fixing damage during a long pit stop under a stage break. Aside from the contact, Hill led 13 laps and ended up with his 10th top five of the year. Though the finish was probably disappointing after winning here back in July, Hill sits somewhat comfortably, 19 points above the cut line in third.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    3. Grant Enfinger – It was somewhat a quiet Kansas outing in Enfinger’s camp after winding up fourth for his seventh top-five of the 2020 season. The Alabaman finished inside the Top 10 in both stages with finishes of seventh and 10th respectively. However, things will begin to get tight for the No. 98 team as Enfinger sits seven points below the cut line, among the first to possibly be eliminated. But, as usual, anything can and will happen in racing over the next two weeks. Still, not a bad finish by Enfinger.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    4. Zane Smith – Smith came close to his third victory of the year if not for the late-race contact with his teammate Moffitt and could have been fighting for his first championship. While the 11th place finish was certainly frustrating, the California native had a strong race going up to that point. Smith finished fourth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2. Unfortunately, he could never rebound for a Top 10 finish despite putting four fresh tires on following the spin, prior to the original final lap.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    5. Matt Crafton – A ninth-place finish was all Crafton could do in his No. 88 Ford F-150 Saturday afternoon at Kansas. In Stage 1 and Stage 2, he finished fifth and sixth respectively. Though the ThorSport driver will more than likely have to win at either Texas or Martinsville if the defending champion wants to defend his title again as he is 15 points below the cut line.

      Previous Week Ranking – First

    Fell Out

    1. Ben Rhodes – Hurting his playoff chances on Saturday was Ben Rhodes and the No. 99 ThorSport team. The Kentucky native now faces a must-win situation (33 below the cut line) after being penalized twice for too many men over the pit wall while under the damaged vehicle policy. Rhodes’ final finishing position was 20th, three laps down.

      Previous Week Ranking – Third
  • Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Truck Series race at Kansas

    Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Truck Series race at Kansas

    Following a one-week hiatus, the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series returned to action Saturday afternoon on a windy day at Kansas Speedway.

    The Clean Harbors 200 was the opening round for the Round of 8 Playoffs and we already know one driver who will be in the Championship 4 at Phoenix, that being Brett Moffitt. Moffitt will be looking for the second Truck Series championship of his career.

    The focus of the race was on Moffitt and the playoff drivers but we will also discuss other takeaways after the 20th race of the 2020 Truck Series season.

    1. Hailie Deegan Full-Time In 2021 – It was only a matter of time before Deegan would eventually make her way up the ladder in one of NASCAR’s three touring brands. The California native competed in her first Truck Series start Saturday afternoon, driving in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford F-150 and coming home to a 16th place finish, one lap down. During the race, Ford Performance had announced that their developmental driver, Deegan, will be going full-time in the Truck Series next year starting at Daytona. Deegan just wrapped up her first full season in the ARCA Menards Series, earning four top fives and 17 Top 10 finishes while finishing third in points. However, the Truck Series could present a learning curve for Deegan in her first season. Only time will tell how well she adjusts.
    2. Timothy Peters Returns – With Stewart Friesen out of the race in the No. 52 Halmar team (competing in a dirt race), Truck Series ace Timothy Peters piloted the No. 52 on Saturday afternoon. Peters made his first start since Talladega last year driving for Joe Nemechek’s team. The Providence, North Carolina native finished a respectable seventh place after starting 28th. Peters seems to be making one-off and part-time efforts over the last couple of years, but if a competitive ride were to open up for him, it seems likely that a team owner would want Peters as part of their organization. Peters has 11 Truck Series wins to his credit and was a runner-up for the championship in 2012 driving for the now-defunct Red Horse Racing team.
    3. Niece Motorsports Announces James Buescher Return – Speaking of returns, Niece Motorsports announced last week that former Truck Series driver and 2012 series champion James Buescher is slated for a return race at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday. Buescher’s last series start came five years ago in 2015, driving the No. 31 Bob Newberry entry at Martinsville where he finished seventh after starting 15th.
    4. Tyler Hill Earns Best Season Finish – Tyler Hill drove the No. 56 Hill Motorsports team truck owned by his brother Timmy Hill to a 14th place finish Saturday. The finish marked Tyler’s best so far this season with his previous best coming at Las Vegas where he finished 17th.
  • Jack Beckman, Steve Torrence, Matt Hartford, Jerry Savoie claim the NHRA FallNationals

    Jack Beckman, Steve Torrence, Matt Hartford, Jerry Savoie claim the NHRA FallNationals

    With the championship looming in the background, the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) visited the Texas Motorplex this past weekend for the ninth race of the 2020 season.

    Don Schumacher Racing continued their winning ways in the Funny Car division Sunday afternoon by scoring their 12th consecutive victory by a Don Schumacher entry when No. 6 qualifier Jack Beckman ousted his teammate Matt Hagan in the final.

    Beckman defeated Hagan going 328.46 mph and 3.908 seconds to Hagan’s 324.20 mph and 3.943 ET. The victory was Beckman’s third of the season and the 33rd of his career. In addition, the victory was also Beckman’s first at the Texas Motorplex.

    “We have a phenomenal car,” Beckman said. “I had a good feeling all day today and I think our car is as good as any car out there every time we go out there. I’ve won Indy, I’ve won Pomona and a lot of the major races, but Dallas, since I came here in 1986 to spectate at the very first national event here, was one I would have loved to win. I had 14 shots at it before I finally closed the deal. To have your name listed as the first (to win a Camping World Wally), that can never be taken away from you and it’s just awesome.”

    Jack Beckman Wins At Texas MotorPlex, Photo Courtesy of Auto Imagery.

    Unfortunately for Hagan, he had to settle for a second-place finish, which was the 29th runner-up of his Funny Car career.

    “All-and-all another really good day here at Dallas for this Pennzoil/Mopar team. Jack Beckman just had a little better day. They have a great race car, but we have a great race car too. We’ve been keeping pace and we’re going to keep doing our thing for the next two races and see how this thing plays out. I’m super excited we get to do it again in a few days at Houston next weekend. We have a lot of momentum. The team is working great. The guys are doing a great job. We just have a little more work to do.”

    In the Top Fuel division, father and son, Steve and Billy Torrence, once again squared off with each other. Prior to getting to the finals, Steve defeated Shawn Langdon in the semis, while Billy got the victory beating Doug Kalitta when Kalitta ended up smoking the tires. Steve had a much quicker reaction time of .058 to Billy’s .076, and winning with an ET of 3.716 seconds, 328.76 mph to score his 40th career win as a Top Fuel competitor, the fourth win of the season. His dad Billy had to settle for his second runner-up of the year.

    “That was huge,” admitted the younger Torrence, “My dad was a little late (reacting to the starting signal). I was, too (against Shawn Langdon). But those bad-to-the-bone Capco Boys pulled it out (with better performing race cars). I’m just thankful to the good Lord that we’re out here and we can do this. We’re having a blast.”

    Torrence was able to increase his championship points by 51 over Kalitta.

    “I’ve said it multiple times – Doug Kalitta is probably the best driver who never won the championship,” Torrence said. “I have a ton of respect for him and for that team and I think that’s why they bring out the best in us.”

    Smoke billows from Steve Torrence’s Capco Contractors dragster after it won the Top Fuel champion in Sunday’s 35th annual AAA Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex in Dallas.  The NHRA Camping World tour moves this week to Houston for the 33rd Mopar Express Lane Spring Nationals postponed from last April by the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo Courtesy of Mark Rebilas.

    Unlike the weather conditions in St. Louis a few weeks ago, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle were able to finish all of their rounds at the Fall Nationals Sunday afternoon. Matt Hartford in the Total Seal Pistons Rings Chevrolet Camaro picked up his first win of the 2020 season. Hartford’s victory came against Greg Anderson, as Hartford edged Anderson with an ET of 6.625 and 206.39 mph. The ET and mph were slower than Anderson’s 6.588 and 207.94 mph, but the hole shot ultimately gave the victory to Hartford. Hartford went .018 off the line, as Anderson could only manage .066 reaction time. He reached the finals by getting the holeshot against Enders as well. The FallNationals victory was Hartford’s third of his NHRA Pro Stock career.

    “The final was big because I’m now at three wins, but really the semifinal run was what set it apart for us,” Hartford said. “Erica (Enders) is just so dominant on the tree and I just decided I was going to take my time, take a couple deep breaths and not be in a hurry. There was a lot on the line and to come back in the final round and win, it’s incredible to have another Wally. To hold the first ever Camping World Wally in Pro Stock, that never gets forgotten. For me, it’s just incredible. It wasn’t an easy road today, but we’ve had a good car all year long. To have the fans out here supporting us, it was great.”

    Matt Hartford Earns Victory No. 1 of the season at Texas Motorplex, Photo Courtesy of Chevy Racing.

    Anderson will have to wait for the Houston Nationals next weekend if he wants win No. 64 of his career.

    “My guys did a great job, and they saved my bacon all day long,” said Anderson, who moved up to the No. 5 position in the Pro Stock points with his performance. “They tried again in the final and I dropped the ball. I have to figure out what I’m doing wrong. I’m not a guy who cuts a .060 light. I’m doing something wrong, I just don’t know what yet. That’s what I’m going to be working on before we get to Houston next week, because if I can get that figured out, we’re going to win.”

    Greg Anderson at the 35th annual AAA Texas Fall Nationals, Photo Courtesy of Auto Imagery.

    Finally, in the Pro Stock Motorcycle division, Jerry Savoie won for the 13th time in his NHRA career. Savoie defeated rider and competitor Jerry Gladstone to earn his first victory of the 2020 NHRA season. Savoie won with an ET of 6.910 seconds and 191.16 mph to Gladstone’s 7.005 and 192.69 mph. Like Hartford’s victory, Savoie got the holeshot by having a reaction time of .050 to Galdestone’s .072 to give him the victory.

    “There’s just something about Texas,” Savoie said. “To come here and be in the finals six times and win three, it’s just awesome and a great deal. We’ve really been struggling and (crew chief) Tim (Kulungian) has been working really hard at the shop. We didn’t have the fastest bike today, but luck was on our side and we just out-raced them.”

    Jerry Savoie Enjoys FallNats Victory at Texas Motorplex, Photo Courtesy of NHRA.

    Updated Points Standings following the FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.

    Funny Car Standings

    1. Matt Hagan, 762 points
    2. Jack Beckman, -4
    3. Tommy Johnson Jr, -77
    4. Ron Capps, -174
    5. Bob Tasca III, -224
    6. Tim Wilkerson, -224
    7. J.R. Todd, -236
    8. Alexis DeJoria, -348
    9. Paul Lee, -411
    10. Cruz Pedregon, -427

    Top Fuel Standings

    1. Steve Torrence, 764 points
    2. Doug Kalitta, -51
    3. Leah Pruett, -148
    4. Billy Torrence, -166
    5. Shawn Langdon, -273
    6. Antron Brown, -306
    7. Justin Ashley, -311
    8. Terry McMillen, -328
    9. Clay Millican, -383
    10. Tony Schumacher, -470

    Pro Stock Standings

    1. Erica Enders, 696
    2. Jason Line, -31
    3. Jeg Coughlin, -93
    4. Matt Hartford, -181
    5. Greg Anderson, -208
    6. Alex Laughlin, -228
    7. Chris McGaha, -314
    8. Deric Kramer, -325
    9. Aaron Stanfield, -328
    10. Bo Butner, -331

    Pro Stock Motorcycle Standings

    1. Matt Smith, 503 points
    2. Scotty Pollacheck, -50
    3. Andrew Hines, -61
    4. Angelle Sampey, -92
    5. Eddie Krawiec, -116
    6. Angie Smith, -196
    7. Ryan Oehler, -202
    8. Steve Johnson, -232
    9. Jerry Savoie, -236
    10. Hector Arana Jr, -251

    Up Next: The NHRA will remain in Texas, as the series will travel to Baytown, Texas for the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented By Pennzoil at Houston Raceway Park on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24 and 25, with eliminations on Sunday, Oct. 25.

  • Brett Moffitt punches ticket into Championship 4 following Kansas victory

    Brett Moffitt punches ticket into Championship 4 following Kansas victory

    Despite an overtime restart and making contact with his teammate Zane Smith, Grimes, Iowa native Brett Moffitt held on to win his first race of the 2020 season at Kansas Speedway and is now one of four drivers eligible for the Championship 4.

    “Definitely relief, Moffitt said following the Kansas victory. “It’s go time in the season, and we’ve had a pretty rough one on our No. 23 (GMS) team, so it’s a lot of relief to get back to victory lane to do it in a such high-pressure situation and knowing now we have a shot to win the championship.”

    Kansas Speedway was the opening round for the Round of 8 Playoffs for the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, which began on Saturday afternoon on a windy day in Kansas City, KS. Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Chandler Smith was on the pole with Hailie Deegan making her first Truck Series appearance starting 34th in the No. 17 DGR-Crosley Ford F-150. Stages 30-30-74 laps made up the 134-lap race but an overtime restart caused the race to go three laps longer than the advertised distance.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 30

    The action was intense from the get-go with playoff driver Ben Rhodes brushing the Turn 2 wall early on. The Kentucky native fell in the running order as far back as 20th when the first stage ended.

    Meanwhile, GMS Racing’s Sheldon Creed swiped the lead at the start of the race and held on to win the first stage. Following Creed were Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Johnny Sauter, Moffitt, and Todd Gilliland completing the Top 10.

    Stage 2: Lap 37 – Lap 60

    After the restart on Lap 37, a major wreck occurred off Turn 4 causing a seven-minute red flag. Multiple drivers were involved in the accident including some playoff drivers. Tyler Ankrum’s truck caught on fire after breaking a fuel line and we saw his No. 26 truck go up in flames. Other involved were Talladega winner Raphael Lessard, David Gravel, Parker Kligerman, Tanner Gray, Clay Greenfield, Ben Rhodes, Dawson Cram, and Trevor Bayne.

    During the red flag, Rhodes’ team was penalized for having too many crew members over the wall as they were repairing the truck during the damaged vehicle policy. The penalty ultimately ended Rhodes’s shot of winning the race, and he eventually wound up 20th, three laps down. With just two races left before the championship race at Phoenix, the Kentucky native faces a must-win situation moving forward at Texas and Martinsville.

    Following the red flag, a few battles for the lead ensued. Zane Smith grabbed the lead from Austin Hill on Lap 48 but Creed was back out front (Lap 54) for the Stage 2 victory, sweeping both of the stages. Zane Smith, Chandler Smith, Austin Hill, Eckes, Crafton, Gilliland, Sauter, Moffitt, and Enfinger rounded out the Top 10.

    Prior to the conclusion of Stage 2, playoff drivers Christian Eckes and Austin Hill made major contact after Eckes tried avoiding the lap truck of Jennifer Jo Cobb on the frontstretch which caused Hill’s team to have a long pit stop to fix the damage during the Stage 2 break.

    Stage 3: Lap 67 – Lap 139

    With 52 laps to go, Zane Smith passed teammate Sheldon Creed for the lead. Smith maintained the lead for the longest time until the final round of the green-flag pit stops occurred with 34 laps to go. Following Smith’s, and Moffitt’s pit stops, both GMS Racing teammates battled each other on the apron. Smith held Moffitt briefly before Moffitt had the top spot.

    However, during the initial cycle, Moffitt was unable to check out which allowed Smith to close back in and take the lead again with 10 laps to go. Smith looked as though he had the race in the bag but Moffitt came back and challenged again. Unfortunately for Smith, Moffitt came down to block for the lead, but it was a little too much as Smith ended up sliding sideways into Turn(s) 3 and 4 causing an overtime restart.

    Even with the overtime restart, Moffitt scored his 12th career victory and is now locked into the Championship 4 for the third consecutive year since 2018. Zane Smith finished in the 11th position after the contact.

    “I think that was our ticket to Phoenix right there,” Smith said after the contact with Moffitt. “I felt like, I’ve really been stepping it up at the track for sure. I don’t know if that showed at the track today, but it was just whoever could work through lap traffic at the end. I got him (Moffitt) and pulled away a little bit, then he (Moffitt) got to me and did a slider. I had a big run down the hill and he (Moffitt) hit my right-front pretty hard. Luckily, I was able to save the truck off the fence.”

    There were four cautions for 24 laps and 13 lead changes among nine different drivers.

    Moffitt led twice for 15 laps en route to victory.

    Updated Playoffs standings

    1. Brett Moffitt, Locked into the Championship 4
    2. Sheldon Creed, +26 above the cut line
    3. Austin Hill, +19 above the cut line
    4. Zane Smith, +7 above the cut line
      Below the cut line
    5. Grant Enfinger, -7
    6. Matt Crafton, -15
    7. Ben Rhodes, -33
    8. Tyler Ankrum, -56

    Official Results following the Clean Harbors 200 at Kansas Speedway.

    1. Brett Moffitt, led 15 laps, locked into Championship 4
    2. Sheldon Creed, (Playoff driver) led 61 laps, won both stages
    3. Austin Hill, (Playoff driver), led 13 laps
    4. Grant Enfinger, (Playoff driver), led one lap
    5. Chandler Smith, led one lap
    6. Christian Eckes, led seven laps
    7. Timothy Peters
    8. Matt Crafton, (Playoff driver)
    9. Derek Kraus
    10. Trevor Bayne
    11. Zane Smith, (Playoff driver), led 37 laps
    12. Ryan Truex, 1 lap down
    13. Todd Gilliland, 1 lap down
    14. Tyler Hill, 1 lap down
    15. Parker Kligerman, 1 lap down
    16. Hailie Deegan, 1 lap down
    17. Tate Fogleman, 1 lap down
    18. Johnny Sauter, 1 lap down, led one lap
    19. Austin Wayne Self, 2 laps down
    20. Ben Rhodes, (Playoff driver), 3 laps down
    21. Danny Bohn, 3 laps down
    22. Spencer Boyd, 4 laps down
    23. Dawson Cram, 4 laps down
    24. Colin Garrett, 4 laps down
    25. Clay Greenfield, 5 laps down
    26. Ray Ciccarelli, 6 laps down
    27. Josh Bilicki, 7 laps down
    28. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 9 laps down
    29. Jordan Anderson, 12 laps down
    30. Norm Benning, OUT, Vibration
    31. Tim Viens, OUT, Fuel Pump
    32. Raphael Lessard, OUT, Crash
    33. Tyler Ankrum, (Playoff driver) OUT, Crash
    34. David Gravel, OUT, Crash
    35. Tanner Gray, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series will visit Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 25 scheduled for noon ET on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Corey Heim takes ARCA victory at Kansas, Bret Holmes claims ARCA championship

    Corey Heim takes ARCA victory at Kansas, Bret Holmes claims ARCA championship

    The 2020 ARCA Menards Series season finally reached its conclusion with the season finale Friday night in the Heartland at Kansas Speedway.

    Only two drivers had a chance at the championship, Bret Holmes and Michael Self, and neither has ever won an ARCA title. While the battle was competitive on track, the 2020 championship eventually went to Holmes after five years of trying. With determination and a never give up attitude even when at times he wanted to give up racing entirely, Holmes finally prevailed.

    “It’s been a tough road, for sure,” said Holmes. “Everything we’ve done has just been phenomenal this season, every decision we’ve made. To come out and not even know we were going to run the full season, and to finish it off like this, is really special.”

    With an ARCA title on the line, there was also a race winner to be had in the 100 lap race as well. Three segments split up the 100 lapper, with the first segment ending on Lap 30, second on Lap 60 and the final on Lap 100. Ty Gibbs, who ultimately took home the Owner’s Championship qualified on the pole.

    Segment 1: Lap 1 – Lap 30

    The action was intense early for championship contender Michael Self. Self, in the No. 25 SinClair Lubricants Toyota, started to experience fuel pick up problems on Lap 21 of the race. The issue eventually put the Park City, Utah native a lap down through the rest of the segment, but he was the recipient of the free pass when Segment 1 ended.

    Also experiencing problems was the polesitter, Ty Gibbs. At Lap 28, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team pushed the Monster Energy Toyota behind the wall for multiple laps. It wasn’t until the end of the second segment that Gibbs would return to the racetrack, but multiple laps down.

    As the first segment wrapped up on Lap 30, Venturini Motorsports driver Corey Heim was in first, with Holmes, Derek Griffith, Hailie Deegan, Self, Drew Dollar, Dylan Lupton, Kris Wright, Scott Melton, and Eric Caudell completing the Top 10.

    Segment 2: Lap 33 – Lap 60

    The second segment was caution-free with Heim leading the field to the second break that occurred on Lap 60.

    Segment 3: Lap 64 – Lap 100

    With Heim pulling away from the field, the focus was on the two title contenders, Self and Holmes, who were battling in the top five. Self rebounded to a fifth-place running position after the fuel pickup problem earlier in the race.

    As the checkered flag flew on Lap 100, Corey Heim collected his first-ever checkered flag while Self, unfortunately, fell short for a second consecutive year. Holmes finally took home his first ARCA Menards Series championship in 81 starts since 2016. Self was runner-up in the points finishing 12 points behind Holmes.

    “Really surreal right now, man,” said Heim of his first ARCA Menards Series victory. “I’m kind of at a loss for words. Craftsman, Toyota, Venturini Motorsports, all the people who make it happen, couldn’t have done it without them. [Crew chief Kevin Reed Jr.] here, he did an awesome job just dialing me in. We were a little loose throughout the race, but I couldn’t have asked for much more on that last run, and here we are in victory lane. Couldn’t be happier.”

    Heim dominated the race by leading 82 of the scheduled 100 laps, en route to his first ARCA Menards Series victory in just 16 starts.

    There were two leaders among two different lead changes.

    Official Results following the Speediatrics 150 at Kansas Speedway.

    1. Corey Heim, led 82 laps
    2. Bret Holmes, led 18 laps
    3. Derek Griffith
    4. Dylan Lupton
    5. Michael Self
    6. Hailie Deegan
    7. Kris Wright
    8. Drew Dollar, 1 lap down
    9. Scott Melton, 3 laps down
    10. Eric Caudell, 4 laps down
    11. Tim Richmond, 6 laps down
    12. Mike Basham, 9 laps down
    13. Chandler Smith, 19 laps down
    14. Ty Gibbs, 40 laps down
    15. Brad Smith, OUT, Engine
    16. Owen Smith, OUT, Clutch
    17. Wayne Peterson, OUT, Brakes
    18. Alex Clubb, OUT, Vibration

    Up Next: After a hectic season and some major rescheduling, the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season is finally completed. Now, the focus will turn to the off-season and toward the 2021 season as well. Normally, an ARCA Open Test at Daytona takes place in January, but nothing has been officially announced as of this writing.