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  • FUNNY CAR POINTS LEADER AUSTIN PROCK FOCUSED ON SAME APPROACH AS PLAYOFFS OPEN AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

    FUNNY CAR POINTS LEADER AUSTIN PROCK FOCUSED ON SAME APPROACH AS PLAYOFFS OPEN AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

    READING, Pa. (Sept. 11, 2024) – Austin Prock has enjoyed a terrific 2024 regular season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, racking up five victories and advancing to eight final rounds in his first year in the Funny Car ranks.

    Heading into this weekend’s 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, Prock doesn’t plan on adjusting his mindset or his approach as the Countdown to the Championship playoffs open. It’s a new position for Prock this time of year, but it would be hard to argue switching something up that has worked so well this season for the John Force Racing team.

    Prock and his team, led by his father, crew chief Jimmy Prock, have been stellar in all conditions in their 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS and that aggressive style won’t change with everyone now chasing him in the postseason. His points lead now stands at 39 over Bob Tasca III heading to Maple Grove Raceway and with a flurry of standouts right behind him, Prock knows it’s a great challenge in front of him.

    “I don’t think we need to race any different. We need to have the same mindset and fight our way through it,” Prock said. “Our lead isn’t much and you’re going to have to be on kill every single round. It’s going to be a dogfight to the finish, for sure. I’m trying to make the most of this opportunity. We’ve got a fast hot rod and I’m enjoying driving it, and I’m looking forward to trying to finish this out strong.”

    Last season, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed wins in their respective categories and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, including elimination coverage on FOX on Sunday at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (depending on local listings).

    It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship, but don’t expect a radical shift from Prock after an incredible first 14 races. The team qualified No. 1 a whopping 10 times in the regular season and that often previewed a strong weekend for Prock, who advanced to the final round seven times when he qualified in the top position.

    His success in the Mission #2Fast2TastyChallenge, which included seven wins and 25 bonus points, gave him the biggest points advantage in any class to open the playoffs, but Prock knows that could be wiped away instantly.

    Prock won at Maple Grove Raceway in 2022 in Top Fuel, using a hard-charging finish to end up third in points. Getting his first in Funny Car at the fan-favorite facility won’t be easy, especially going against the likes of Tasca, defending world champ Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd, Blake Alexander and Jack Beckman, who is driving for John Force in the Countdown to the Championship.

    Prock certainly enters the race with momentum after his first U.S. Nationals victory and he’s eager to see how the next six races unfold.

    “Any race weekend you go into coming off a win, it definitely gives you a little pep in your step,” Prock said. “Winning the U.S. Nationals was special for my family and we’re excited for the Countdown. We’ve got to go into these next six races and keep doing the job we’ve been doing. We have to go in and execute and try to find a way to perform better than we have all year long. There’s a lot of good cars out and you can’t count out any of these teams. I think everyone is in for a treat in the Countdown.”

    In Top Fuel, Kalitta’s Reading win a year ago spurred his run to a world championship. He’ll look to make it two in a row, taking on the likes of Justin Ashley, who opens the playoffs second in points, Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Brittany Force, Clay Millican and Top Fuel newcomer Tony Stewart.

    Pro Stock’s Hartford will look to get his season on track, but it won’t be easy in a loaded category that includes points leader Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield, who starts the postseason second in points, reigning world champion Erica Enders, and veterans Greg Anderson and Jeg Coughlin Jr.

    Six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Smith started the playoffs with a Reading win last year, but Gaige Herrera dominated the rest of the way, winning the last five races en route to the title. Herrera has won seven of nine races in 2024 and has a second straight world title in mind, taking on John Hall, Richard Gadson and Angie Smith.

    The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

    Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at Maple Grove Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.

    As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Reading. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

    NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET on Friday and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, as well as at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday and eliminations on FOX at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (check local listings).

    To purchase tickets to the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, fans can visit www.maplegroveraceway.com. All children 12 and under are admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information on the NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

    About Mission Foods

    MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

    About NHRA

    NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

  • GMG Racing Continues Recent Run of Podium Finishes Saturday in SRO America Competition at Barber Motorsports Park

    GMG Racing Continues Recent Run of Podium Finishes Saturday in SRO America Competition at Barber Motorsports Park

    • Kyle Washington Finishes Third in Saturday’s GT America Sprint Race at Barber Motorsport Park in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R
    • Top-Five Pro-Am Finish and Fastest Lap of the Race in Saturday’s GT World Challenge America for Washington and Tom Sargent in Sister No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R

    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (September 10, 2024) – GMG Racing secured a podium finish for the fourth straight SRO America race weekend Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park where team driver Kyle Washington drove the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R to a third-place showing in the 40-minute GT America powered by AWS sprint race. The P3 run for Washington set the stage for another strong result later on Saturday when Washington and Tom Sargent co-drove to a top-five Pro-Am finish in the 90-minute Fanatec GT World Challenge America race in the team’s sister No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Sargent also set the fastest race lap in the closing stages of Saturday’s GT World Challenge race.

    “We have just seen incredible improvement and progress from Kyle and Tom,” said GMG Racing Founder and Principal James Sofronas. “Kyle has made it to the podium every SRO America race weekend since Circuit of The Americas (COTA) back in May with Tom closing the deal for two of those finishes with fantastic final stints in GT World Challenge. Getting on the box again at Barber showed that the hard work is paying off because we were not able to test here, and our drivers have never been here before, but we had the fastest Porsche on the grid and Tom set the fastest race lap overall on Saturday. It’s a testament to the team and drivers hitting on all cylinders each and every race weekend.”

    Washington was impressed by the unique nature and rolling terrain and turns of the pristine Barber Motorsports Park circuit and facility.

    “This place is amazing,” Washington said. “It reminds me of a skate park! Everything is cambered, it’s up and down and super, super fun. The rain kept us from getting much practice early in the weekend, but when I finally got some laps around the track I felt like I knew it better. I had a good sprint race with a P3 podium, which I was super happy about, and we had a solid run in the GT World Challenge race on Saturday.”

    Washington’s visit to victory lane at Barber followed a GT America season-best second place finish at COTA in May. One race weekend later, Washington and Sargent broke through for their first GT World Challenge America victory at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). From there, the podium and race-winning momentum continued straight to Road America in August where Sofronas marked his professional racing debut on the 4-mile Wisconsin circuit 30 years earlier with a GT America Sunday race win in his No. 14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO2. The milestone victory for Sofronas followed a second-straight GT World Challenge podium run for Washington and Sargent who scored a second-place GT World Challenge Pro-Am finish at Road America on Saturday.

    “Kyle is really improving on his race craft,” Sofronas said. “He put a move on Johnny O’Connell on Saturday at Barber which was something Johnny would have put on most people back in the day. Overall, Kyle’s confidence is increasing and Tom is certainly showing his abilities despite having never been to most of the tracks. We don’t have a testing program in place due to Kyle’s heavy corporate schedule away from the track, so we really couldn’t be happier to keep reaching the podium and picking up some race wins too.”

    The third-place showing at Barber was the fifth podium for GMG Racing in the current streak dating back to COTA, but the team has a total of 12 visits to victory lane this year. Sofronas (GT3) and Brent Holden (GT2) each scored a pair of GT America podium finishes in April’s Grand Prix of Long Beach GT America doubleheader. Holden also picked up a pair of GT2 podiums in the season-opening GT America race weekend at Sonoma Raceway where he was joined in victory lane on Sunday by Sofronas, who finished second in GT3 in the Audi.

    Next up for GMG Racing is the final USAC Porsche Sprint Challenge race weekend of the season at Sonoma Raceway, September 26 – 29. One week later, GMG arrives in full force at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour that includes the final rounds of both GT World Challenge America and GT America, October 3 – 6.

    NOTEWORTHY – Sights on Thermal:

    • GMG Racing’s move to its new 28,000 square-foot race shop at The Thermal Club in October is now just weeks away. The shop is nearly complete and is located in the heart of one of the most impressive country club motorsports facility in the world. The facility will soon be open for service, performance upgrades and motorsports arrive-and-drive programs and track support. The Thermal shop will also continue to offer the same street performance product support and maintenance services as the Santa Ana shop, which is also open for both street and track support over the next few weeks before the permanent move to Thermal. “We are excited to bring all of our current customers, and to welcome all of our new clients, to the Thermal Club where we will continue to do everything that we currently do in our existing shop at our all-new and state-of-the-art facility,” Sofronas said.

    About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

  • FOND MEMORIES AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY DRIVING TOP FUEL POINTS LEADER DOUG KALITTA AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

    FOND MEMORIES AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY DRIVING TOP FUEL POINTS LEADER DOUG KALITTA AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

    READING, Pa. (Sept. 10, 2024) – The most recent race didn’t go the way reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta planned, but it would be hard to deny that the current points leader still has plenty of momentum heading into this weekend’s 39th annual NHRA Pep Boys Nationals based on last year’s results at Maple Grove Raceway.

    Kalitta enters the opening race of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs as the defending event winner and it was a huge victory, jumpstarting his memorable run to a first world championship and also giving the veteran his 50th career win.

    The bump in the road is Kalitta failed to qualify at the U.S. Nationals two weeks ago, the first time that happened for the longtime standout in 301 races and nearly 14 years. Kalitta and the team rebounded with a successful test session in Indy in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools/Toyota dragster, restoring Kalitta’s confidence as he looks to defend his world title, as well as his key Reading victory from a year ago.

    “I was very relieved and I think we got the wheels back underneath this thing,” Kalitta said. “Indy’s a big race and we just struggled to get the down the track. It just wasn’t our weekend. We’re definitely looking forward to this weekend. Everyone is working really hard on this thing. Our team is really excited and it should be fun. Reading is a great place to run and I think our car will be happy there.”

    Last season, Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed wins in their respective categories and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, including elimination coverage on FOX on Sunday, Sept. 12 beginning at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (based on local listings). It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs – and the 15th of 20 races in the 2024 campaign – and Kalitta has enjoyed a number of bright spots this year.

    He’s won three races, advanced to five final rounds and has been the points leader for the past seven races. Kalitta has also enjoyed plenty of success at Maple Grove Raceway, winning the race a pair of times. He’ll open the playoffs with a 15-point advantage over Justin Ashley in what should be an epic fight to the finish in the loaded Top Fuel ranks.

    Kalitta’s teammate, Shawn Langdon is third, while other championship contenders include four-time world champ Steve Torrence, three-time champ Antron Brown, U.S. Nationals winner Clay Millican, class rookie and racing legend Tony Stewart, Tony Schumacher, Brittany Force, Billy Torrence, Josh Hart and Shawn Reed.

    But after winning his first world title last year, Kalitta certainly isn’t satisfied, pointing to the back-to-back world titles his cousin, Scott, won in the Top Fuel ranks in 1994 and 1995 as one source of motivation.

    “We’re certainly looking forward to it. It’s pretty exciting right now with everyone at Kalitta Motorsports,” Kalitta said. “We’re focused on going rounds. At this point, I would love to be like my cousin, Scott, and win back-to-back championships. He did it back in the day (1994-1995), so that will be our goal. It would be cool if we could pull it off and it’s definitely the goal. I think we’ve got what we need to make it happen and I’m looking forward to it.”

    Funny Car’s Austin Prock has taken over driving duties for Hight and will look to keep rolling in Reading. He has five wins this season, entering the playoffs in the points lead while taking on the likes of Bob Tasca III, reigning champion Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Funny Car veteran Jack Beckman, who is racing for John Force.

    Pro Stock’s Hartford will look to get his season on track, but it won’t be easy in a loaded category that includes points leader Dallas Glenn, Aaron Stanfield, who starts the postseason second in points, reigning world champion Erica Enders, and veterans Greg Anderson and Jeg Coughlin Jr.

    Six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Smith started the playoffs with a Reading win last year, but Gaige Herrera dominated the rest of the way, winning the last five races en route to the title. Herrera has won seven of nine races in 2024 and has a second straight world title in mind, also taking on John Hall, Richard Gadson and Angie Smith.

    The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

    Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at Maple Grove Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.

    As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Reading. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

    NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 13 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, as well as at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday and eliminations on FOX at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on Sunday.

    To purchase tickets to the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, fans can visit www.maplegroveraceway.com. All children 12 and under are admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information on the NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

    About Mission Foods

    MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

    About NHRA

    NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or vis

  • Global Music Superstar Diplo To Ride in Fastest Seat at Nashville

    Global Music Superstar Diplo To Ride in Fastest Seat at Nashville

    INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024) – International music superstar Diplo, a multi-Grammy Award winner, will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports at the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Nashville Superspeedway.

    Over the course of a 20-year career that began with his now-legendary Philly club night Hollertronix, Diplo has collaborated with the world’s biggest stars and toured the world many times over. Born in Mississippi and raised in Florida, Diplo is one of the most renowned artists and producers working today, as well as label head of his era-defining imprints Mad Decent and Higher Ground.

    Among his many projects, Diplo’s exclusive SiriusXM channel, Diplo’s Revolution (channel 53), features the latest in dance music from around the world – exclusive edits/remixes, access to live DJ sets from festivals and events, and much more. The channel will be featured with a special livery on Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda, driven by Felix Rosenqvist in this weekend’s race.

    A 13-time Grammy nominee and three-time winner, Diplo is also a member of the iconic Major Lazer, one third of LSD – the psychedelic supergroup with Sia and Labrinth whose debut album has been streamed over 3 billion times – and half of Jack Ü with Skrillex and Silk City with Mark Ronson, whose platinum-certified, Grammy-winning “Electricity” with Dua Lipa topped charts worldwide.

    Diplo’s latest releases include a string of successful Higher Ground singles, last year’s “Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2—Swamp Savant” – his second album as country persona Thomas Wesley that was followed by an official remix mixtape – and 2022’s “Diplo,” his first full length album of electronic music in 18 years.

    Diplo will join a long list of celebrated INDYCAR Fastest Seat in Sports passengers as he leads the field to green in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. This high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride already has been taken by Jon Bon Jovi, actors Judge Reinhold and Dylan Sprouse, country music star Riley Green, American Olympic gold medalist Sam Watson and reality TV star Mary Bonnet during the 2024 INDYCAR season.

    Live coverage of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge starts at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 15 on the NBC, Peacock, SiriusXM IndyCar Nation and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

    The NTT INDYCAR SERIES represents the ultimate challenge in racing, with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a demanding set of ovals and road and street courses.

  • Matt Tifft Returns to Asphalt Circle Track Racing at Saturday’s CorvetteParts.net Glass City 200

    Matt Tifft Returns to Asphalt Circle Track Racing at Saturday’s CorvetteParts.net Glass City 200

    TOLEDO, OH (Sept. 10, 2024) – Former ARCA and NASCAR driver, Matt Tifft, of Cleveland, OH, will be making his return to asphalt circle track racing this coming Saturday, September 14at Toledo Speedway. Tifft will be competing behind the wheel of an ASA STARS National Tour car in the 36th running of the Corvetteparts.net Glass City 200 presented by DTS Drive Train Specialists & Courtyard By Marriott.

    The 28-year-old competitor made a full-time run at the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 but his season came to an abrupt end late in the season at Martinsville Speedway, when a seizure caused him to faint at the track. Tifft was taken to the hospital, was diagnosed with epilepsy, and his racing career was halted. This all came after Tifft had surgery a few years earlier, in 2016, to remove a benign tumor from his brain.

    Fast forward to 2024, Tifft returned to the driver seat with a clean bill of health in a Dirt Super Late Model as well as road course racing, including the Trans Am Series. Tifft has had a busy schedule, especially on the dirt side, competing in over 30 events between dirt and road courses. This season, Tifft picked up a couple of wins on the road course at Road Atlanta and has had a couple of top five finishes on the dirt side.

    Tifft will be driving a Super Late Model as a teammate to current ASA STARS point leader, Casey Roderick. It will be an Anthony Campi prepared #57 with support from his season long sponsors, PB B’laster and GUNK Degreasers.

    “While I didn’t have any intentions of running any asphalt late model races this year, the opportunity came up to race with Anthony Campi racing here recently for the Glass City 200,” explained Tifft. “I’ve had a lot of fun on the dirt side of things but I wanted to race in a competitive series and see how I could do. I honestly don’t have any set expectations but want to go out and have fun and be competitive. Hopefully, we have a great run and come back for more in the future.”

    While the dirt track racing has been a new experience for Tifft, returning to asphalt will be familiar territory as he was formerly an ASA Midwest Tour full-timer in 2012, where he finished 5th in the standings. Tifft was also an annual New Smyrna World Series Super Late Model racer between 2011-2014 and has made starts in other major asphalt Super Late Model events.

    Tifft, originally from Hinckley, Ohio, now resides in Cleveland. He exploded onto the scene in 2013 when he finished fifth in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Toledo Speedway driving for WinTron Racing and team owner Kevin Cywinski. He’d return in 2014 racing for NASCAR Cup Series star Ken Schrader’s team, racking up five top-five finishes in ten starts including third-place finishes at Toledo, New Jersey Motorsports Park, and Chicagoland Speedway. He finished a career-best second that fall at Kentucky Speedway, which he would match the next year at Mobile International Speedway.

    He has 77 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts to his credit with 9 top-five and 38 top-ten finishes; he has 25 career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts with a best finish of fifth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2016.

    Saturday will be his first appearance at the Glass City 200 but he did make a Super Late Model start at the ½-mile in a CRA Super Series race in 2013. Tickets for the Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway are available and can be found by clicking here. Tickets and pit passes will also be available at the track on race day. For those not able to attend the event, live coverage will be available at www.tracktv.com. The CorvetteParts.net Glass City 200 is scheduled for Saturday, September 14 at Toledo Speedway. The day’s activities kick off with two rounds of practice at 11 am and noon, while the starting lineup will be set in Go FAS Pole Qualifying at 2:45 pm. Local racing, including the ARCA Salenbein Excavating Late Model Sportsman division and ARCA Safety Kleen Factory Stock division season championship features are set to follow, with the ASA STARS National Tour on-track autograph session after. Driver introductions will take place at 5 pm, while the green flag will fly over the 200-lap main event at 5:30 pm ET.

    Tickets are available at ToledoSpeedway.com; please call the track office (419) 727-1100 for more information.

  • Meyer Shank Racing Set to Close out INDYCAR Season with SiriusXM and Diplo Collaboration for Nashville

    Meyer Shank Racing Set to Close out INDYCAR Season with SiriusXM and Diplo Collaboration for Nashville

    Nashville, Tenn. (10 September 2024) – With the INDYCAR season finale set for this weekend’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) and SiriusXM are excited to close out the season with one final collaboration which will feature Diplo’s Revolution (SiriusXM channel 53) on the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda driven by Felix Rosenqvist.

    MSR and SiriusXM have showcased several artists and their SiriusXM channels through the 2024 INDYCAR season and the pair are set to finish out the season finale in Nashville with a bang.

    In addition to the electric livery that pays homage to GRAMMY® Award-winning artist, producer and DJ Diplo’s world-shaping career, Diplo himself will be in attendance of the Nashville race weekend. Fans will be able to enjoy a one-of-a-kind performance from Diplo as he is set to DJ the pre-race driver introductions on Sunday ahead of the 206 lap race set at the 1.33-mile Nashville oval.

    The superstar is a 15-time GRAMMY® nominee and two time winner, with countless Platinum records to his name. He is known the world over for his own music as well as his collaborative projects: Major Lazer, Silk City, LSD and Jack Ü among them.

    Diplo’s exclusive SiriusXM channel, Diplo’s Revolution, which he also curates, features the latest in dance music from around the world—exclusive edits/remixes, access to live DJ sets from festivals and events and much more.

    “Our partnership with SiriusXM has been great this season and it’s been such a fun experience to bring so many artists out to INDYCAR races and we’re excited to finish out the season with Diplo,” said Mike Shank. “The livery for this one is probably our most eye-catching one yet and we can’t wait for Diplo to see it in person on Sunday.”

    Additionally, Mike’s Hard Lemonade will be back with Meyer Shank Racing this weekend on both Rosenqvist’s No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda and David Malukas’ No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda.

    The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is set for this Sunday with the NBC broadcast starting at 3:00pm ET. Live race coverage will also air on SiriusXM INDYCAR Nation (channel 218) and on the SiriusXM app.

  • CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Rising Sun, Rising Corvettes

    CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Rising Sun, Rising Corvettes

    Confidence growing at TF Sport after strong pace for Z06 GT3.Rs at COTA

    DETROIT (September 10, 2024) – The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R will make its debut in Asia this weekend as TF Sport moves to the Six Hours of Fuji and the seventh round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

    Coming off a strong performance two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas, hopes are high for a podium finish – and maybe more – in a deep and highly competitive LMGT3 class.

    Corvette factory driver Daniel Juncadella led the No. 82 Corvette, which he shares with Sebastien Bourdais and Hiroshi Koizumi to an eighth-place finish in class.

    Both of the team’s Z06 GT3.Rs showed impressive pace with the No. 81 Corvette of factory driver Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy running as high as second before being hit by another LMGT3 competitor and eventually retiring from the race.

    Despite that, momentum is on the side of TF Sport heading to Fuji Speedway. It’s a track the team knows well, having scored two race wins, a runner-up and a pair of pole positions in its previous four trips to the 2.84-mile, 16-turn circuit less than two hours outside Tokyo.

    Eastwood was part of a GTE Am victory (2019) and runner-up finish (2018) with TF Sport. In addition, Juncadella contested the GT World Challenge Asia weekend at Fuji last season and scored an overall pole position. His Japanese teammate, Koizumi, is set for his home race and will make his second career WEC start at the circuit having debuted in the series at last year’s event.

    From an engineering perspective, TF Sport can lean on learnings from the Corvette C8.R’s previous two appearances including last year when the program finished second in GTE Am after claiming pole position.

    The Six Hours of Fuji is scheduled for 11 a.m. Japanese Standard Time (JST) on Sunday / 10 p.m. ET on Saturday. MotorTrend TV will air live television coverage from 9:30-11 p.m. ET on Saturday plus 3-4:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. Full live streaming coverage of Free Practice 3, qualifying and the race will be available on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of Saturday’s final practice and qualifying, plus Sunday’s race.

    TF SPORT PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

    CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Fuji is a track and a place that I absolutely love, as was Austin to be fair. I’ve had some good success at here in the past, and my first win in WEC was at Fuji. Both the track and the place are really nice places to be. Car-wise, we were so strong at COTA. It shows the commitment and work that both the team and Corvette Racing are doing in the background to keep this car moving forward. So I’m really hopeful again going into Fuji. Although we haven’t a result we wanted so far this year, I feel one is just around the corner. We’ll be going for that. I think this type of track will suit our Corvette. We just need to start putting the weekends together.”

    RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Fuji is a special place. It’s always a pleasure to go to Japan and such a beautiful country. The culture is incredible. A lot of drivers that I know always takes a few days to explore Tokyo, drive around and go to Mount Fuji. It’s that kind of place where you take things in. It’s such a beautiful place. As far as the track goes, it’s incredible and amazing. It has a good complex and combination of corners with a super-long straight and then a really fast first sector. It’s pretty high up on my list of favorites.”

    DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I was at Fuji last year in GT World Challenge Asia. It’s a track that I really love. I was on pole, and it was just about the time I was having my meetings with Corvette Racing to finalize my contract! So I have a pretty good memory of that weekend because I didn’t have a lot of sleep because I was excited for those new prospects. But those are really good memories from Fuji because it is a track I really enjoy. On top of that, Hiroshi is a Japanese driver and if there is one track where he is going to be very competitive, I think Fuji is the one. He’s going to be excited, and I’m massively pumped. I love Japan. We’ve had a very competitive car the last couple of races. The Corvette has been getting better and better. We seem to be improving reliability-wise and pace-wise. Everything has been going in the right direction. I’m really excited. There has to be a race where we have a chance in the last two hours, and I hope it’s Fuji.”

    HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It is very exciting for me to race at Fuji Speedway, my home track, with TF Sport and our Corvette. I feel confident for this race because I know the track and our car is very fast. I am hopeful good performance from myself so that we can have our best finish of the year.”

    SEBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was my first time racing in America at COTA and this will be my first time in Japan. It’s very nice because we have had a lot of driving and racing in a lot of countries. It’s great because I get to do this in a Corvette as this is my dream to do this in a World Championship. It is the home race for Hiroshi, which is good. I hope we can visit some places with him! But for me it is very important to have a good result at Fuji. I’m a competitor and I think we are better as a team as we have learned more about the Corvette. The car is good, and I think we can definitely be on the podium.”

    2024 FIA World Endurance Championship Points

    LMGT3 Drivers Standings

    1. Aliaksandr Malykhin/Joel Sturm/Klaus Bachler – 118
    2. Morris Schuring/Richard Lietz/Yasser Shahin – 90
    3. Augusto Farfus/Darren Leung/Sean Gelael – 84
    4. Alex Riberas/Daniel Mancinelli/Ian James – 81
    5. Alessio Rovera/Francois Heriau/Simon Mann – 50
    6. Daniel Juncadella/Hiroshi Koizumi/Sebastien Baud – 14
    7. Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 11

    LMGT3 Teams Standings

    1. No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing – 118
    2. No. 91 Manthey EMA – 90
    3. No. 31 Team WRT – 84
    4. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team – 81
    5. No. 55 Vista AF Corse – 50
    6. No. 82 TF Sport – 14
    7. No. 81 TF Sport – 11

    CORVETTE RACING AT Fuji: By the Numbers

    • 2: Previous appearances at the Six Hours of Fuji for the Corvette Racing program
    • 11: Victories in the first year of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R
    • 13: Hours difference between Fuji and Detroit in the Eastern Time Zone. That means this weekend’s race will begin Sunday morning in Japan but late Saturday night Eastern Time
    • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
    • 28: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Barber Motorsport Park (the latest), Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
    • 38: Hours of racing left in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R season covering WEC, IMSA and GT World Challenge
    • 51: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Bryson Morris joined the list at Road America in GT World Challenge America
    • 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
    • 138: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and 10 in GT World Challenge America
    • 304: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA
    • 390,295.42: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

    Corvette Racing at Fuji Speedway

    2022

    No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 5th in GTE Pro

    2023

    No. 33 Corvette C8.R: Nicky Catsburg/Ben Keating/Nico Varrone –2nd in GTE Am

    About Chevrolet
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • NHRA Standouts Set Sights on Championship At NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 20-22

    NHRA Standouts Set Sights on Championship At NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 20-22

    CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 9, 2024) – As the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs heat up, drivers and teams will be laser-focused on earning a hard-fought world championship when the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals takes over the Bellagio of dragstrips, zMAX Dragway, Sept. 20-22 for three days of nitro-burning mayhem.

    The NHRA Carolina Nationals is the second of six races in the NHRA playoffs and the race will see competitors in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series taking to the track their sights laser focused on winning a coveted championship.

    The intense, action-packed weekend will be filled with 11,000-horsepower, 330 mph excitement, with two qualifying runs on Friday, including a can’t-miss night session under the lights, two qualifying runs on Saturday and championship Sunday, where the biggest stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will leave it all on the line for a playoff victory.

    Last season, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all picked up wins at the fall race in Charlotte. The wins helped propel Kalitta and Herrera both to world titles at the end of the season, a career first for both the veteran Kalitta and the young Vance & Hines rider, Herrera, who has been nearly unbeatable the last two seasons.

    Kalitta Looks to Repeat 2023 Win

    Kalitta currently leads the Top Fuel points, while the rest of the Top Fuel field will be ready for competition, including three-time 2023 winner Justin Ashley and former champs Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force and Antron Brown, as well as U.S. Nationals winner Clay Millican and Top Fuel rookie and NASCAR legend Tony Stewart.

    Defending Event Winner, Tasca Eyes First Title

    Funny Car’s Tasca is hungry for his first NHRA championship and enters the playoffs in the best position of his career. He has three wins on the 2024 season and currently sits in second behind Funny Car newcomer Austin Prock. Prock took over driving duties for Robert Hight at the start of the season and has impressed fans throughout the year, winning a stellar five races, including Indy. Tasca and Prock will need to stay atop their performance game with reigning champion Matt Hagan in third and former champs J.R. Todd and Ron Capps rounding out the top five. Jack Beckman is also back in the seat racing for John Force and opens the Countdown to the Championship in sixth.

    Anderson Eager to Continue zMAX Dominance

    Hometown favorite Anderson has five wins at zMAX Dragway, including most recently at this year’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in April. Last season, he defeated his KB Racing teammate Dallas Glenn to claim the NHRA Carolina Nationals title and has enjoyed another banner year. This season, Glenn has led the points for the majority of the season, with Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals winner Aaron Stanfield in second, Anderson in third and reigning champion Erica Enders in fourth, setting up a number of must-see matchups in Charlotte.

    Can Hot Herrera Go Back-to-Back?

    Last season, Herrera won 11 races, and he has shown no sign of letting up this year, collecting seven of the nine Pro Stock Motorcycle race titles this season, including the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. North Carolina native and six-time champ Matt Smith wants nothing more than to dethrone Herrera and claim a seventh championship, while other contenders include Chase Van Sant, Jianna Evaristo, John Hall and Angie Smith.

    Fan Fun on Full Display

    In addition to enjoying thrilling on-track action, fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at zMAX Dragway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally trophy on Sunday and includes the fan-favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the NHRA Carolina Nationals event winners.

    As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Charlotte. This unique opportunity gives fans a chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

    Tune-In to Speed

    NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 4 and 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 20, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 22. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FS1 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

    TICKETS:

    To purchase tickets to the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, please visit www.zmaxdragway.com or call 800-455-FANS (3267).

    CONNECT WITH US:

    Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

  • COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP LOADED WITH STORYLINES AS NHRA PLAYOFFS SET TO BEGIN

    COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP LOADED WITH STORYLINES AS NHRA PLAYOFFS SET TO BEGIN

    Six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs start this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway as racers start title journey

    INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 9, 2024) – The 2024 NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs are set to open at this weekend’s 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., and it’s a postseason filled with excitement and plenty of intriguing storylines.

    This weekend’s race kicks off three straight race weekends, as the Countdown to the Championship goes from Reading to zMAX Dragway in Charlotte for the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sept. 20-22 and then the NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sept. 27-29 at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.

    From there it’s a furious three-race finish, beginning with the main event of the Texas Motorplex’s “Stampede of Speed,” the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals on Oct. 9-13 in Dallas. That leads into the fall stop at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 31-Nov. 3 and then the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 14-17 at historic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

    Heading into the playoff opener at the fan-favorite facility in Reading, let’s look at some of the top storylines in each category in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

    TOP FUEL

    HOW DOES KALITTA RECOVER? By nearly every account, it’s been a banner 2024 for Kalitta, who followed up his first world title in 2023 by leading the points for the bulk of this season. But the points leader failed to qualify at the U.S. Nationals – the first time the veteran hasn’t qualified in a remarkable 301 races over 14 years. How he responds at Maple Grove Raceway is a massive question to open the playoffs. Last year, Kalitta won in Reading (and then Charlotte) to start his championship surge and he’ll look to put that Indy disappointment behind him as quickly as possible.

    IS IT ASHLEY’S TIME? Ashley has been atop the Top Fuel field in the postseason each of the past two years, and was the points leader earlier this season, too. He’s learned valuable lessons each of the past two seasons, but the team seems eager for redemption after some playoff slip-ups in 2022 and 2023. Ashley enters the Countdown to the Championship second in points and is ready to pounce, especially with Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence and Antron Brown right behind him.

    WHO MAKES A MOVE? Kalitta won three times in the playoffs a season ago, coming all the way from sixth to claim the championship in dramatic fashion. Is there a driver who gets hot at the perfect time in 2024? Clay Millican starts in sixth this year, riding high from his U.S. Nationals win, while the likes of Brittany Force (ninth) and Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart (seventh) seem to be peaking at an ideal time.

    FUNNY CAR

    IS THERE ANY SLOWING THE PROCK ROCKET? It’s been a dominant season thus far for first-year Funny Car driver Austin Prock. Taking over for Robert Hight and driving for his dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock), Prock has been the No. 1 qualifier an incredible 10 times in 14 races, winning five events and advancing to eight finals. He also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge seven times, giving Prock a 39-point advantage to open the playoffs. The car has been superb in all conditions and if Prock has his way, he’ll look to keep on rolling through the fall.

    TASCA’S BEST SHOT: Bob Tasca III has become a legit championship contender the last three seasons and had a shot to win his first title a year ago on the final day of the season. But top to bottom, this seems to be Tasca’s best shot yet to win a title. He enters the playoffs second in points on the strength of three wins and the car has proven itself in any type of weather condition.

    WHAT VETERAN GETS HOT? It’s difficult to imagine someone among the group of defending world champion Matt Hagan (third), J.R. Todd (fourth), Ron Capps (fifth) and Jack Beckman (driving for John Force in sixth) not going on some sort of roll in the Countdown. With a combined nine championships between the four, the group knows how to win, and it will likely take three victories to climb all the way to the top. A surging Blake Alexander, who opens the playoffs in seventh, will also be one to watch.

    PRO STOCK

    DOES THE ENDERS-ANDERSON SHOW CONTINUE? For all the influx of young talent in the class, Pro Stock continues to be ruled by reigning champ Erica Enders and veteran Greg Anderson. Enders has won four of the last five world titles in the class, while Anderson, a five-time champ, won in 2021. Nobody BUT those two has won a championship since 2018 and no active Pro Stock driver other than Enders and Anderson has won a championship since Jeg Coughlin Jr. in 2013. Simply put, Enders and Anderson know how to get it done in crunch time. Enders dominated in 2022 and was terrific in the playoffs last year, and with their track record, it would be hard to bet against Anderson and Enders coming through once again.

    GLENN IS CHAMPIONSHIP READY: That said, Dallas Glenn seems ready to make a run. He’ll enter the Countdown to the Championship as the points leader for the second straight year, but his car seems better suited to make a championship run in 2024. Things didn’t go as planned a year ago, as Glenn struggled to a sixth-place finish, but the young standout opens the playoffs full of confidence and a 25-point advantage over Aaron Stanfield.

    CAN STANFIELD STAY RED-HOT? Speaking of Stanfield, he may be the most championship-ready driver in the mix at the moment, winning the U.S. Nationals for the first time. He’s won four of the past six races in the category, jumping all the way to second to open the postseason. Stanfield has been dynamite on raceday, which could also play a factor down the stretch.

    PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

    DOES THE HERRERA REIGN CONTINUE? That’s the obvious question after Gaige Herrera dominated the regular season to the tune of seven wins in nine races. Counting the last five playoff races of last year, Herrera has won 12 of 14 events and after his first Indy win, he remains the favorite in the category.

    CAN SMITH MAKE HISTORY? While Herrera may be the favorite, Matt Smith appears plenty ready to challenge Herrera. He was dominant in Sonoma and won the playoff opener in Reading last year. A quick start will be necessary as Smith aims to become the first rider in Pro Stock Motorcycle history to win seven titles.

    IMPACT PLAYERS: Who else can leave their mark in the Countdown to the Championship? The Matt Smith Racing trio of John Hall, Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith have had their moments as of late, while 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant snapped Herrera’s winning streak with his Seattle triumph. Herrera’s teammate, Richard Gadson, is also after a big finish in his rookie season.

    To purchase tickets to any of the six races in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, please visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information about NHRA, including the full television schedule for the 2024 playoffs, please visit www.NHRA.com.

    COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS

    Top Fuel

    Doug Kalitta: 2109
    Justin Ashley: 2094
    Shawn Langdon: 2081
    Steve Torrence: 2068
    Antron Brown: 2062
    Clay Millican: 2046
    Tony Stewart: 2032
    Tony Schumacher: 2026
    Brittany Force: 2016
    Billy Torrence: 2000
    Josh Hart: 1992
    Shawn Reed: 1980

    Funny Car

    Austin Prock: 2125
    Bob Tasca III: 2086
    Matt Hagan: 2079
    J.R. Todd: 2071
    Ron Capps: 2054
    John Force (driver Jack Beckman): 2049
    Blake Alexander: 2036
    Daniel Wilkerson: 2023
    Chad Green: 2012
    Alexis DeJoria: 2000
    Cruz Pedregon: 1990
    Buddy Hull: 1980
    Dave Richards: 1970

    Pro Stock

    Dallas Glenn: 2114
    Aaron Stanfield: 2089
    Greg Anderson: 2081
    Erica Enders: 2074
    Jeg Coughlin Jr: 2059
    Troy Coughlin Jr: 2047
    Jerry Tucker: 2032
    Cristian Cuadra: 2020
    Eric Latino: 2010
    Mason McGaha: 2006
    Deric Kramer: 1980
    Matthew Hartford: 1970
    Chris McGaha: 1960

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    Gaige Herrera: 2113
    Matt Smith: 2093
    Richard Gadson: 2080
    John Hall: 2067
    Chase Van Sant: 2050
    Angie Smith: 2042
    Jianna Evaristo: 2031
    Hector Arana Jr: 2020
    Steve Johnson: 2010
    Chris Bostick: 2000

    2024 NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

    Sept. 12-15: 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.

    Sept. 20-22: 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte

    Sept. 27-29: 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis

    Oct. 9-13: 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas

    Oct. 31-Nov. 3: 24th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas

    Nov. 14-17: 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pomona, Calif.

    To purchase tickets, please visit www.nhra.com/tickets

    About Mission Foods

    MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

    About NHRA

    NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

  • KENNINGTON CLAIMS THIRD IN CASTROL EDGE DODGE

    KENNINGTON CLAIMS THIRD IN CASTROL EDGE DODGE

    September 9, 2024 DJ Kennington, driver of the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge, delivered another stellar performance at his home track, Delaware Speedway, in the NASCAR Canada Series on Sunday afternoon. The St. Thomas, Ontario native, with five previous victories at the historic half-mile track, was once again a top contender.

    Starting the 200-lap feature from the seventh position, Kennington wasted no time moving up the ranks. He quickly positioned himself within the top five and remained a fixture at the front of the pack throughout the race. With a huge crowd of supporters and team partners cheering him on, Kennington expertly navigated the challenges of the day, showcasing the skill and experience that have made him a success at Delaware Speedway.

    Kennington’s relentless drive culminated in a podium finish, marking his ninth podium in just 12 NASCAR Canada Series starts at the track. The third place race result not only delighted the local fans but also solidified Kennington’s hold on fourth place in the overall championship standings.

    DJ Kennington Quotes: “This place is special to me, getting my start here and being so close to home. To have so many supporters here cheering on the Castrol team and to be able to deliver a podium finish for them and for our partners is really rewarding. We’ve got a lot of momentum heading into the final stretch of the season, we’ve made some good strides this year on our oval program”.

    Next up:
    DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team are back in action for the final event of the season at the Autodrome Montmagny on Sunday, September 22nd.

    TV & Live Streaming
    The NASCAR Canada race from Delaware Speedway will be broadcast on TSN, and on RDS2. Dates and times, TBD. All races are streamed live on TSN+ and through FloRacing in the United States.

    Race fans can follow DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team on their official social media platforms:

    Twitter www.twitter.com/@djkracing
    Instagram www.instagram.com/djkracing
    Website www.djkracing.ca
    Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DJKenningtonRacing/