DRIVER NEWS AND NOTES

SHANE SEXTON DEBUTS A STUNNING NEW CAR AT PERRIS ON SATURDAY – NEW SPONSORS, TOO

(Warner Springs, CA, September 22, 2023) When Perris Auto Speedway fans show up for this Saturday’s Glenn Howard Classic featuring the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars, driver “Shugah” Shane Sexton will feed them a piece of eye candy. Known for flashy cars, he will be debuting a brand new GAS Chassis with one of the flashiest-looking graphics packages to ever grace the famous Riverside County half-mile. Sensational colors, purple chrome chassis, and chrome decals will certainly make the car stand out. The flashy car will help draw attention to new sponsors Bill’s Jerky and Hot Dog Kustoms.

Saturday’s race will be Sexton’s first at Perris since his frightening flip down the back straightaway on April 15. In that crash, at times he was higher than the track billboards. Amazingly, the GAS Chassis held up very well and it protected the driver. However, the energy from the crash broke his back. When he gets to The PAS on Saturday, he will have a new CASM seat mount that protects drivers in crashes (check out the team’s August press release for details).

Sexton was going to debut the gorgeous car last month, but the incoming Hurricane Hillary forced the track to cancel the race. Since then, the happy-go-lucky racer has made one race driving Mike Schweitzer’s #41B in the California Lightning Sprint Car Series at the Bakersfield Speedway. After winning his heat race there, the car blew the fuse to the starter relay knocking him out of the main event with one lap to go.

“Shugah” is pleased to welcome his new marketing partners and wants everyone to know about them. Bill’s Jerky proprietor, Bill Silbermann, is a lifelong racer and his company produces the nation’s tastiest brisket jerky. To learn more about his delicious product or to make a purchase, please visit the company website at https://www.billsjerky.net/. In addition, Hot Dog Kustoms out of Temecula has joined forces with the team. Pete “Hot Dog” Finlan has been in the painting industry since 1981. He was the head painter of West Coast Choppers during the “Monster Garage” era. You can check out his great work and contact him at http://hotdogkustoms.squarespace.com/. Be sure to let both of them know you heard about them through Shane Sexton’s racing efforts.

After Saturday, Sexton plans to stay busy through the end of the 2023 season making the final four USAC/CRA races of the year starting on October 14^th at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway. He will return to Arizona on November 3 and 4^th for the annual Western World Championships at the Cocopah Speedway. One week later he will be at the season closer for the series at Perris Auto Speedway. In addition, he will be looking to get in some laps in the late-season lightning sprint car races.

For fans who want to see Sexton race the gorgeous new car on Saturday, spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. For fans 65 years of age and older, it is $25.00. For kids six to 12 it is just $5.00 and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Advance tickets are available until 7:00 PM on Saturday night. They can be purchased online at tix.com or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not with to buy advance tickets, there will be plenty for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday.

Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), one-hour east of Los Angeles and one-hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571.

Sexton and the #74 team wish to extend their thanks to the following 2022 racing season partners. Gas Chassis, Key Brothers Racing, Elite Powder Coating, Bill’s Jerky, Hot Dog Kustoms, Savage Racing, AG Sandcars, and Ron’s Tire and Brake. If you would like to be a part of this fun, upcoming team and get exposure not only at the tracks but around the world on Flo Racing, please contact Shane Sexton at mailto:Shanesexton7@gmail.com or (619) 362-5921.

Welcome the newest partner to Women's Motorsports Network!
Tranzact Debit Card - Changing the world of banking!

I am using this new debit card and am excited to see the rewards in the upcoming months!

RACE TEAMS AND TRACKS:
I use this card and when Dan was talking about teams, it made me think of your group of racers. This might be something that you could use to raise funds for racing.

BUSINESS OWNERS:
And then I thought about all the businesses that could set up each employee with a new Employee Benefit where they could earn dollar-for-dollar rewards, as well as the Power Savings Account!

FRIENDS AND FAMILY:
And what about your friends and family? Would they be interested in earning rewards with a new DEBIT card (NOT A CREDIT CARD)!

Let me know what you think and if you have questions.
Listen to this informative video for details on how this works.

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts about our new partner, and if you have any questions, or want to give it a try, text me at 269-760-1111.

CONTEST OFFER: The first 5 to become a Digital Branch Owner will receive a $50 Visa Gift Card, as a thank you!
Gift 10 cards to your race team members, employees, etc, and receive ANOTHER $50!

CODY GRIGGS HOPES TO PAD HIS SWLS POINT LEAD SATURDAY AT THE IMPERIAL VALLEY RACEWAY

(Lakeside, California, September 20, 2023) POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series point leader Cody Griggs will be looking to expand his point lead when the series makes its third visit of 2023 to the Imperial Valley Raceway this Saturday night, September 23rd. Griggs, the 2022 SWLS Rookie of the Year, comes in with a 94-point lead in the series with only six races left in the season.

Lakeside, California-based Griggs began the 2023 campaign at Imperial with a pair of races in March. Those two races produced frustrating 19th and 13th place results. However, the friendly racer went on a streak of recording six straight top-10 finishes after that. Amidst that streak was his first-ever lightning win, which came at the Barona Speedway on May 13th. Three weeks after that, and on the same Barona track, he piloted a Sexton Gatlin Racing team car to a second-place finish.

That streak of top-10 finishes not only saw the sophomore driver take over the point lead, but it has allowed him to extend that lead to its current 94 points heading into Saturday’s show. Griggs, whose father Sean also raced at the Barona Speedway when Cody was a youngster, has an excellent chance of stacking onto his lead on Saturday as the second-place driver is out with an injury and the third and fourth-place racers have other racing commitments.

After Saturday’s race at Imperial, Griggs has five remaining races with the SWLS this year. The first will be at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway on October 14th. One week later he will have back-to-back nights at Imperial on the 20th and 21st. In November, the SWLS will be at Perris Auto Speedway on the 11th. The season-ender will be a jointly sanctioned POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint/California Lightning Sprint race at Bakersfield on November 14th.

For fans who would like to see Griggs and the other SWLS stars in action at the Imperial Valley Raceway on Saturday, Spectator gates will open at 6:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Tickets are $5.00 for those age 16 and older. Everyone 15 and under gets free. The track is located on the Imperial Valley fairgrounds at 200 East 2nd Street in Imperial, California.

Griggs would like to thank the following marketing partners for making his 2023 racing season possible. SES Custom Paint, TDW Inc., Van Slyke Landscaping, Jetset Concepts, Happy Hounds Dog Grooming and Pet Supplies, Johnson, Finch & McClure Construction, Sexton Fire Protection, Troy Dirt, and Smith Family Transport. If you would like to be a marketing partner with Griggs in 2023, please contact him at (619) 933-6566 or mailto:cmgriggs56@gmail.com.

FLOWDYNAMICS RACING TEAM FINALLY BACK ON THE TRACK THIS SATURDAY AT PERRIS

(Ontario, CA, September 21, 2023) After what seems like an eternity, the Flowdynamics racing team will be back in action when the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series returns to Perris Auto Speedway for the annual Glenn Howard Classic this Saturday night, September 23rd. It will not only be the first race back for the team but also for the 24-year-old racing series since July 15th.

Logan Williams running in the fluff at Perris Auto Speedway on July 15th. Anthony Hernandez photo.

The unplanned two-month break in the action has Flowdynamics drivers Matt McCarthy and Logan Williams itching to get back on the track that is located closest to the team’s Ontario, California headquarters. The last race at Perris took place on July 15th. In that race, Williams came home fifth for his third top-five finish of the season. McCarthy finished 12th.

The series had two races scheduled between the July 15th date and this Saturday night. One was August 19th at Perris. However, that race had to be canceled due to the remnants of Hurricane Hillary. One week before that and three weeks after, USAC/CRA had races scheduled for the Santa Maria Raceway. However, the track has been closed all year. Try as they might, raceway officials were unable to get the track open and those races had to be canceled as well. Thus, the big unplanned summer vacation.

Coming into this week’s competition, Riverside, California’s McCarthy has contested four series races this year. All four have been at Perris and he has two top 10 finishes among them. His best outing came on May 27th when he placed eighth in the Salute to Indy. A month earlier, he finished ninth in the 30-lap main.

Williams, who is in his third season competing for Flowdynamics, has started six races in 2023. He has four top-10 finishes and has placed in the top five three times. The Yorba Linda, California driver's best outing in 2023 was a fourth on June 10th. At the last race at Perris on July 15th, he drove his #5W past the checkers in fifth place.

Despite confining most of their racing to Perris, Williams is ranked 11th in USAC/CRA Series points and McCarthy is 20th.

Things at Perris will get underway when the spectator gates open at 5:00 p.m. The first race will take the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids six to 12 it is just $5.00 and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Advanced tickets are available until 7:00 PM on Saturday night online at tix.com or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to buy tickets in advance, there will be plenty available at the ticket window on Saturday night.

Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located at 18700 Lake Perris Drive on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Take the 215 freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds.

Whenever you get the chance to meet the Flowdynamics drivers in person, be sure to visit them in the pits. They will be glad to sign autographs for you and each will have their fine-looking team shirts available.

If you or your company would like to be a part of one of the West Coast’s most prominent sprint car teams for the upcoming season, please contact John McCarthy at 909 930-5522 or mailto:john@flodyinc.com.

McCarthy and Williams would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2023 season possible. Flowdynamics Inc., PurgePlugs.com, Cal Therm Mechanical Insulators, JFK Design Build, So Cal Racing Fuel, and Full Throttle Lift.

BRADEN CHIARAMONTE TAKES ON MICRO MANIA IN TEXAS THIS WEEK

(El Cajon, CA, September 20, 2023) One of the USA’s top young open-wheel prospects, Braden Chiaramonte, is headed to Fort Worth, Texas for this week’s $10,000.00 to win “2nd Annual Micro Mania” race. The young star will be one of 82 pre-entered drivers in the POWRi 600cc Non-Wing Outlaw class. Drivers will practice on Wednesday night, September 20th. Split field preliminaries will take place on Thursday and Friday. Chiaramonte will be steering the gorgeous Hyper house car #73B in Friday’s preliminary. Saturday all entries will be in action and they will line up by points accumulated on their respective preliminary nights.

Chiaramonte, 16, comes into this week’s races fresh off being one of the few cars that made all three main events in the Keith Kunz Challenge at the Sweet Springs Motorplex in Missouri two weeks ago. His best finish of the three was a seventh in the 24-car main on the first night.

Chiaramonte, who lives in El Cajon, California, contested the initial Micro Mania in the “Lonestar State” one year ago this weekend. On his preliminary night, he qualified 11th fastest of the 35 cars. In his heat, he was on the way to the transfer when a car spun directly in front of him causing a multi-car tangle that included the young driver. He went to the back for the restart. When the green came back out, the handsome young driver charged through the field and was challenging for a transfer position when a broken sprocket sent him back to the pits.

Instead of going to the A main, Chiaramonte had to go to the D. He Easily won that race by more than a full straightaway. That performance sent him straight into the C main event. That was a 10-lapper, and the young driver started 19th. He had to get to fourth to earn a transfer to the B main. He was putting on a passing clinic and was up to eighth when laps ran out and the checkered flag waved.

Saturday started out as a near carbon copy of Friday as Chiaramonte was again in the D main. He started third, but when the driver starting first switched cars, Chiaramonte inherited the pole. From there he walked away from the field in the 10-lapper to win by nearly a full straightaway. The victory earned him a ticket to the 12-lap C main.

Chiaramonte had his work cut out for him in the C. He started inside row 10 in the 19th spot and had to get to the front in a hurry. To say he put on a another show is an understatement. By the end of the fourth lap, he had passed 10 cars and was up to 9th. One lap later he was up to seventh and was still moving forward. Soon after that, he snatched the final transfer spot and quickly moved up one more position to third. However, a yellow flag seconds later reverted the running order back to the last lap putting Chiaramonte in the fourth, and final, transfer spot. That was where he finished. It put him in the B main event, which was only one transfer away from the A.

After two nights of constantly passing cars, Chiaramonte had gained the attention of the announcers. His performances over the first night and first two races of the finale had him on their radar for the 15-lap B main event. And why not? Going into the B he had passed more cars than any of the other 144 drivers on hand.

In the B, the pleasant teen was starting dead last in the 22nd spot. He had to get to seventh and only had 15 laps to do it. As per usual he immediately began to pass cars and was up to 17th by the end of lap two. However, another driver spun him out in turn four on the fourth circuit. That meant that he once again had to go all the way to the back and try to get to seventh in just 11 laps. To say he put on a show was an understatement as he got all the way up to the 12th spot before the checkered flag ended the race and his weekend.

After his second straight Micro Mania show ends this weekend, Chiaramonte and his team will book it to next week’s “Richest Weekend In Micro Racing,” the Dirt2Media Deuces Wild Shootout, on September 28th, 29th, and 30th at Indiana’s US24 Raceway. For Stock Non-Wing and Winged A Class Micros, the preliminary main events in each class will pay $1,222.22. At the finale on Saturday, each class winner will pocket a cool $12,222.22.

The team will return to the “Golden State” for the annual Cal Cup at the Lemoore Jet Bowl on October 12th, 13th, and 14th. It will turn right around and make the 1,543-mile jaunt to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway for the finals of the 5th Annual Keith Kunz Giveback Classic on the third weekend in October.

Chiaramonte would like to thank all his sponsors who have made his racing efforts possible. RTL Traffic Control, AM Ortega, Hyper Racing, King Racing Products, Tiner-Hirst Enterprises, and Keizer Wheels.

Chiaramonte and his team are in the midst of a busy racing season. If you are interested in becoming a marketing partner with one of the most talented and personable young drivers in the sport, please feel free to call or e-mail Daniel Chiaramonte mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or (619) 988 7563.

Big Game Motorsports and Gravel Score Second-Place Finish During Final Weekend in California

Inside Line Promotions - PLACERVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 20, 2023) - Big Game Motorsports driver David Gravel highlighted the final weekend of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series West Coast Swing with a runner-up result last Friday.

Gravel kicked off the Tom Tarlton Classic at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., by qualifying third quickest. He then placed second in a heat race before advancing a position in the dash to end third.

"It was a good night," he said. "We qualified well and heat raced okay. In the dash we felt pretty good and felt we had a good balance on the car. In the feature it started off okay. I couldn't keep the front wheels on the ground, but once we burned off some fuel our car came to life the last 10 or 15 laps. Toward the end I felt like I had one of the fastest cars."

Gravel battled inside the top five throughout the main event before using a late move to claw to second place in the closing laps. It marked his 43 rd top-five outing of the season.

"I was committed to the bottom in turns one and two," he said. "That was the best place to be. In turns three and four the guy in front of me was running the top so I ran the bottom. I wasn't hitting it every time. I changed my entry and braking and throttle points. By the end of it I started getting it down pretty good."

The weekend wrapped up on Saturday when Placerville Speedway hosted the World of Outlaws 49er Gold Rush Classic. Gravel timed in seventh quickest in his group and was fourth in a heat race to start the main event on the outside of the seventh row.

"We needed to be a couple hundredths faster in qualifying to get on that front row in a heat race," he said. "You can't be off just a little bit or you'll pay the price. I got a really good start in the heat race and tried to go for second and that cost me running third, which I would have started 10 th instead of 14 th in the feature. In the grand scheme of things we probably would have run 10 th instead of 13th. We were out of the race track for the feature. When you start 13 th it's three wide with guys trying to get underneath you with no room and two guys outside of you. It's a high risk of getting into crashes. We're fortunate to roll it back in the box in one piece."

Passing was at a premium on the bullring as Gravel gained one spot to place 13th.

Next up is a weekend in Ohio with races this Friday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg for the BeFour the Crowns Showdown and Saturday at Sharon Speedway in Hartford for the Federated Auto Parts Showdown.

"We're excited to get back to normal tracks where our engine program can shine and we have a lot of space to race," Gravel said. "We've been real good at both tracks and are capable of winning."

QUICK RESULTS -

Sept. 15 - Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. - Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 2 (1); Dash: 3 (4); Feature: 2 (3).

Sept. 16 - Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif. - Qualifying: 7; Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 13 (14).

SEASON STATS -

67 races, 10 wins, 43 top fives, 55 top 10s, 63 top 15s, 63 top 20s

UP NEXT -

Friday at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio, for the BeFour the Crowns Showdown and Saturday at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, for the Federated Auto Parts Showdown with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series

MEDIA LINKS -

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigGameMotorspt

Dominic Scelzi Produces Podium Performance During World of Outlaws Event at Kings Speedway

Inside Line Promotions - PLACERVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 20, 2023) - Dominic Scelzi earned a pair of podium results last weekend at Kings Speedway, including during the Tom Tarlton Classic featuring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

"I was thrilled," he said. "We ran the 360 race on Thursday and the track was rough and hard to race on. We qualified fifth quickest, won a heat race and placed second in the dash to start the feature on the outside of the front row. We battled, got in the holes and ran third. I was concerned with how the track would be on Friday."

Scelzi's podium outing at the dirt oval in Hanford, Calif., on Thursday was followed by similar success at the track on Friday with the World of Outlaws.

"We were the last car out and were fifth quickest, which was our best qualifying performance of the month," he said. "We ran second in the heat race to do what we needed to get in the dash. We drew the No. 3 to start third and ended up running fourth."

Scelzi lined up on the outside of the second row in the main event.

"We got to third right away and I paced myself," he said. "We had a restart and I got pinched down a little, got into the berm and fell to fourth. I got back into third and ran first and second down. Around Lap 25 I started losing brakes and faded to about half a straightway back. The second-place car spun, which moved me to second for a restart with a few laps to go. I was thinking everything was playing into my favor, but I had boiled my brake fluid and my brakes didn't cool down in time to come back to me. I had a really good pace and was able to maneuver the top of turns one and two, which Brad (Sweet) wasn't running. I felt I had a clean lane and it just didn't pan out. I couldn't get myself slowed down to where I needed to be on the exit of the corners and David (Gravel) drove by me at the end so we ended third.

"It was the highlight of the trip. I'm thankful of the speed we had. Whenever you can run well like that at home it means a lot to your team and sponsors and fans."

The World of Outlaws West Coast Swing finale was Saturday at Placerville Speedway, which hosted the World of Outlaws 49er Gold Rush Classic.

Scelzi timed in 18 th quickest in his heat race before he advanced from ninth to eighth place in a heat race and from 12 th to seventh place in the Last Chance Showdown.

"We missed it on the setup and my laps in qualifying," he said. "We were a little tight and I got into the cushion pretty much both laps and didn't qualify well. The track was one lane in the heats. We made progress in the Last Chance Showdown, but came up short of making the feature. It's tough to climb out of a hole when you're racing with the World of Outlaws."

Scelzi will take this weekend off before he returns to action at Kings Speedway on Sept. 29-30 during the Cotton Classic and Morrie Williams Twin 20s Memorial with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series and Sprint Car Challenge Tour.

QUICK RESULTS -

Sept. 14 - Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. - Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 2 (3); Feature: 3 (2).

Sept. 15 - Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. - Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 2 (2); Dash: 4 (3); Feature: 3 (4).

Sept. 16 - Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif. - Qualifying: 18; Heat race: 8 (9); B Main: 7 (12).

SEASON STATS -

46 races, 11 wins, 31 top fives, 37 top 10s, 41 top 15s, 44 top 20s

UP NEXT -

Sept. 29-30 at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., for the Cotton Classic and Morrie Williams Twin 20s Memorial with the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series and Sprint Car Challenge Tour

MEDIA LINKS -

Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scelzi41

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - K&N Filters

Hagar Rallies for Top Five During Hockett/McMillin Memorial Preliminary Night

Inside Line Promotions - WHEATLAND, Mo. (Sept. 20, 2023) - Derek Hagar recorded a top-five finish during his preliminary night at the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial.

Hagar opened the ASCS National Tour event at Lucas Oil Speedway last Thursday by qualifying fifth quickest in his group. He narrowly missed the heat race inversion, but maneuvered from fifth to second place in a heat race to earn enough points to lock into the 10 th starting spot in the A Main.

"We didn't qualify very well so that put us fifth in a heat race," he said. "We got to second and that got us enough points to get in the feature. We were able to pick them off fairly quick, but the track laid rubber about halfway through so it got to be just following each other."

Hagar advanced a half dozen positions for a fourth-place finish, which was his 21 st top five in only his 23 rd sprint car start of the season.

Once preliminary points were tallied, Hagar was just outside of the lock-in drivers and started on the pole of a last chance qualifier on Sunday afternoon - a day later than the scheduled finale because of wet weather. He won the qualifier to once again garner the 10 th starting position in the feature.

"I felt good," he said. "We were able to get the lead in the qualifier right away and lead every lap. We were in an early qualifier so we didn't have to worry too much about rubber. Lucas Oil Speedway did a heck of a job trying to keep the track racy. They worked the track a lot. It stayed around the bottom most of the feature and I was too tight to run down there. I thought it was going to blow off quicker than it did and we ran around 10 th to 12 th the whole race. We weren't able to make moves like we normally do."

Hagar ended 12th, which marked only his third race of finishing outside the top five all season.

He plans to compete at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., this Saturday. Hagar has captured six feature wins at the track this season.

QUICK RESULTS -

Sept. 14 - Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. - Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 2 (5); Feature: 4 (10).

Sept. 17 - Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. - Last Chance Qualifier: 1 (1); Feature: 12 (10).

SEASON STATS -

24 races, 17 wins, 21 top fives, 21 top 10s, 23 top 15s, 24 top 20s

UP NEXT -

Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark.

MEDIA LINKS -

Website: http://www.DerekHagarRacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HagarDerek

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - J&J Auto Racing

Enjoy this week's issue of Women's Motorsports Network News online magazine featuring The Bohn Family, Roxanne Roy, and Landry Singleton.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:11d6affa-3cf3-32b1-a55a-3432c72f14f2

BRENT AND GRANT SEXTON COMPETE IN THE GLENN HOWARD CLASSIC ON SATURDAY AT PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY

(Lakeside, CA, September 19, 2023) Sexton Gatlin Racing drivers Brent and Grant Sexton will be back on the track for the first time in over a month when they contest the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series Glenn Howard Classic this Saturday, September 23rd at Perris Auto Speedway. It will be their first race since the finale of the POWRi MinKota Summer Nationals at Minnesota’s Buffalo River Speedway on August 14th.

As he has done most of the year, 19-year-old Grant enters the race leading the USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year standings. The teen has steadily climbed the points ladder all year long and comes into Saturday’s race in seventh. The young driver has placed in the top ten four times in 2023. His best outing was a fifth-place result at the Bakersfield Speedway on June 24th. At Perris, a ninth-place finish at the prestigious Salute to Indy on May 27th, has been his best result at the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval this year. Besides that, the track has been tough on the effervescent teen with a 12th, 15th, 16th, and 19th. He hopes to improve on all of his Perris finishes on Saturday.

Brent, who has been racing at Perris for over 20 years in lightning sprint cars, made his USAC/CRA debut on June 10th. The now 50-year-old shocked everyone by finishing seventh after starting near the back of the pack. His other start in the series came on July 15th at Perris. On that night he started 22nd in the main and moved forward to finish 18th.

In addition to his outings in the USAC/CRA Series, Brent, the defending POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion, has a win and a second-place finish in the two POWRi races at the track known as The PAS this year.

This week, Tennessee native Brent will be debuting a new XXX Chassis. In addition, he will be using an ex-Rico Abreau 360 engine that the team just purchased. The same engine is destined to see some action in the USAC West Coast Series with Grant pushing the pedals.

With plans on mostly sticking with USAC/CRA Sprint Cars in 2024, Sexton Gatlin Racing has two, top-of-the-line lightning sprint cars for sale. For prices or information, contact Brent Sexton via the phone number or email at the top of this release.

Spectator gates at Perris will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00 on Saturday. Adult tickets are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is just $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. The fairgrounds charges $10.00 for parking. Advance tickets for every regular race at The PAS are available until 7:00 p.m. on race day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to buy advance tickets, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday.

Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571.

If you or your company are interested in becoming a partner with Sexton Gatlin Racing in 2023, please call (619) 454-6945 or E-mail mailto:sextonfire@cox.net or mail to.

Sexton Gatlin Racing would like to thank the following companies for making the 2022 season possible. Keys Brothers, East County Electric Works, Maxima Oil, Automated Interiors, Sexton Fire Protection, BK Wings, Troy Dirt, Victory Graphix, and Swift Powdercoat.

Meet Landen Lewis

Landen Lewis (17) started racing at 4-years-old. The Team Hornaday Development driver from Ocean Isle, NC. currently lives with Ron’s daughter Candice Hornaday. He has been under Ron Hornaday’s wing since the young age of 12.

He started his racing career in dirt modified’s for Ron and has graduated through several different racing series since. Currently, Landen is running the full ARCA West schedule where he leads the points standings. He also competes in some ARCA and ARCA East races. In total, he has 3 ARCA wins, his most recent coming from the ARCA West series race at Portland. He is also running a full schedule of Legend cars, keeping him in the seat ever weekend.

In July of this year, Landen made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Mid-Ohio for Roper Racing.

Outside of racing, Landen works at Joe Ryan Racecars during the week where he builds legend cars and coaches the organizations athletes. Landen has a passion for helping younger drivers, he currently mentors Keelan Harvick, Issac Kitzmiller, Dawson Sutton, Kai Johnson and several others.

A Story Worth Sharing

Landen is a rising star within the motorsports industry and he is eager to share his story with you! For media inquires, please contact us at media@teamhornadaydevelopment.com

Meet Susie Toler, pictured here with her fiance! You will love her accent and her story. Also available to watch on Women's Motorsports Network on YouTube.
https://feeds.podetize.com/ep/TucUFllr1/media

Follow me on Facebook at Women's Motorsports Network!

Kody King preparing for tripleheader weekend at Dells Raceway Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – WISCONSIN DELLS, Wisconsin (Sept. 19, 2023) – Kody King is set for a tripleheader weekend at Dells Raceway Park.

King is set to compete on three consecutive nights at the 0.333-mile asphalt oval as part of the Dells Raceway Park Midwest Championship Showdown beginning Friday night, Sept. 22 and concluding Sunday afternoon, Sept. 24.

“This is going to be a really fun and exciting weekend,” said King. “You really can’t beat three consecutive nights of racing at one of the best short tracks in the state of Wisconsin.”

It all starts on Friday night, Sept. 22 when King joins the field for the UMA Pro Late Model event that headlines Dells Raceway Park Championship Night. Qualifying is slated for 5 p.m. CT, with racing beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT.

King will be back on track on Saturday, Sept. 23 when he rejoins the Big 8 Late Model Series field for the Dave Rottiger Memorial 68. King currently ranks seventh in the Big 8 Late Model Series standings. Qualifying Saturday is slated to begin at 3 p.m. CT, with racing scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. CT.

The weekend will conclude on Sunday, Sept. 24 with the running of the Icebreaker 100 featuring the Alive for 5 Super Late Model Series. King will once again drive the Pathfinder Chassis house car as he makes his second Super Late Model start against some of the Midwest’s top Super Late Model competitors. Qualifying begins at 12:30 p.m. CT, with racing to follow at 2 p.m. CT.

Fans unable to attend the Icebreaker 100 in person will be able to watch it live by visiting PitRow.TV.

“I’m really excited to make another Super Late Model start with the guys from Pathfinder Chassis,” said King, who finished seventh in his Super Late Model debut at Hawkeye Down Speedway earlier this year. “I’ve really got to thank Brett Coltman, everyone at Coltman Farms Racing, the folks at Corneiller Fireworks and the team at MPM Marketing for making this weekend possible. We’re going to run the Coltman Farms dirt late model scheme again because without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Mallett Makes Hockett/McMillin Memorial Main Event During Tough Week

Inside Line Promotions - WHEATLAND, Mo. (Sept. 18, 2023) - Jordon Mallett is taking the positive from a frustrating week in the Midwest as he prepares for the fall run of the 2023 season with the ASCS National Tour.

Mallett posted a 17th-place result during his debut at Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa, last Tuesday before he capped the Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial with an 18th-place outing on Sunday at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Mallett remains third in the ASCS National Tour championship standings with a half dozen races remaining this season.

"It was a rough night at Clay County Fair Speedway," he said. "We showed up feeling pretty good and thought we'd be all right. The track wasn't very good and we were a little off in hot laps. I tried to make it better for qualifying and didn't qualify well."

Mallett was fifth quickest in his qualifying group. He advanced a position from fifth to fourth place in a heat race to lock into the 15 th starting spot in the A Main.

"We heat raced a little better," he said. "I thought we'd made it better in the heat race so we kept going more for the feature. It reminded me of some places and we got into our old notebook. At the end of the feature the car was way out of balance and didn't work with the new tires. I don't know if it was just a matter of we hadn't done that old setup stuff with the new tire package, but it didn't react well at all. It really buried us and was a disappointing run there. The car was driving well, but we just didn't have any speed in the car."

Three days later, Mallett ventured to Lucas Oil Speedway for his preliminary night of the Hockett/McMillin Memorial. He qualified fourth quickest in his group and ended fourth in a heat race.

"We were okay on our qualifying night early on as we qualified okay," he said. "In the heat race we had a really good start and something happened to cause a caution so we had to restart again. The second one wasn't as phenomenal and the track was top dominant. I slipped to fifth by the first corner it seemed. We raced our way back to fourth, but that buried us. We were pretty good in the B Main and finished second to transfer. After the checkered I had pretty hard contact with another car that had lost brakes and ran through me. Thankfully we didn't get upside down. We got back to the pits and assessed the damage. We rolled out for the feature, but coming to the green flag the car came out of gear. The impact after the B Main had broken the shifter so that resulted in a DNF there."

The event finale was postponed from Saturday to Sunday afternoon because of wet weather. Mallett maneuvered from sixth to third place in a Last Chance Qualifier before he won a B Main to transfer into the back of the main event.

"We clawed through the LCQ and through the B Main and into the A Main," he said. "We ran where we started most of the race. I take fault on only making it to 18th. There wasn't a lot of setting the world on fire at that point. The track had been really abusive on tires all day long. I was aggressive with our feature setup because we were starting at the tail. I told the crew, 'We're going to risk it. We're already at the back so let's see if it works.' I was counting on it rubbering up and it didn't. So that left us where our car didn't have a chance to shine. I was too free and not quite good enough.

"I felt like every time we rolled on the track we were clawing all weekend. We had a shovel in our hand the whole weekend trying to dig ourselves out of the situation. We worked hard at it and with 80-plus cars there we still punched our way into the A Main on Sunday so that's a positive."

Mallett will take the next couple of weekends off before resuming ASCS National Tour action Oct. 6-7 at Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, Ark., during the 36 th annual COMP CAMS Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier.

QUICK RESULTS -

Sept. 12 - Clay County Fair Speedway in Spencer, Iowa - Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 4 (5); Feature: 17 (15).

Sept. 15 - Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. - Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 4 (1); B Main: 2 (4); Feature: 22 (20).

Sept. 17 - Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. - Last Chance Qualifier: 3 (6); B Main: 1 (1); Feature: 18 (20).

SEASON STATS -

36 races, 0 wins, 10 top fives, 23 top 10s, 26 top 15s, 30 top 20s

UP NEXT -

Oct. 6-7 at Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, Ark., for the 36 th annual COMP CAMS Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier with the ASCS National Tour

MEDIA LINKS -

Website: http://jordonmallett.myracepass.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmmotorsports14

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordonmallettmotorsports

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Awakening Events

Starks Captures Second Straight Skagit Speedway Championship After Winning Two Features During Season Finale

Inside Line Promotions - ALGER, Wash. (Sept. 18, 2023) - Trey Starks earned his second straight 410ci winged sprint car track championship at Skagit Speedway in style last Saturday when he won both the 410 and 360 division features during the season finale.

"It felt good to cap the season on a high note," he said. "It defines how we've been there this year. We've been fast for the most part and it was nice to showcase it there in the finale. It was cool to run both classes. I've always wanted to win both classes on the same night and it makes it even more special because you don't get that opportunity very often. I think the last time I ran two classes in one night was in 2017 at Port Royal."

Starks placed second in the scramble in both divisions to garner the outside front row starting spot in each main event.

"We got beat from the outside on the scramble in the 410 class," he said. "That made me feel a little more comfortable because I knew the outside was getting a good start. I had a good start and got out front and just ran smooth laps. We weren't satisfied with how the car was in the scramble so we went back to Square 1, really with something we'd more often start a night with. The car really responded well.

"We had a restart with seven laps to go and Jason (Solwold) threw a big bid for a slider going into turn one. I saw him and we drove around it. If I was any slower he could have potentially got in front of me, but we squeaked around him."

The victory was the sixth of the season in 410 competition at Skagit Speedway for Starks.

"It was nice to start in the same spot in both features, especially since the outside was getting a better start," he said. "In the 360 A Main Jason got out front on an initial start, but we had a caution before a lap was completed. On the second start I moved up higher in turn one to get a better run and we got around him out of turn two. We set the pace that I liked and picked through traffic. Traffic was a little heavier in the 360 than the 410, but we maintained a good pace and could move around."

The win was his second in a row at Skagit Speedway and third straight in 360 action. Starks, who missed multiple 360 points races at Skagit Speedway, finished fifth in the driver standings. However, his team had a car at each race he missed so the team ended third in the owners points.

QUICK RESULTS -

Sept. 16 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. (410 sprint car) - Scramble: 2 (1); Feature: 1 (2).

Sept. 16 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. (360 sprint car) - Scramble: 2 (3); Feature: 1 (2).

SEASON STATS -

29 races, 9 wins, 19 top fives, 20 top 10s, 25 top 15s, 26 top 20s

MEDIA LINKS -

Website: http://www.StarksRacing.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Starks55Trey

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TreyStarksRacing?fref=ts

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams Sweep IMSA Battle on The Bricks Race Weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS – Filling the spotlight on the grandest stage in American motorsports, Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition and Winward Racing combined for a perfect triple sweep of the IMSA Battle on the Bricks race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella secured a convincing victory in the GT Daytona (GTD) Pro category in Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship feature event while the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Russell Ward and Philip Ellis broke through for their first GTD victory of the year in the same two-hour and 40-minute race. Sunday’s double victory followed a win in Saturday’s four-hour Indianapolis Motor Speedway 240 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race by Bryce Ward and Daniel Morad in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

The Indy wins were the first time Mercedes-AMG Motorsport teams combined for three victories on an IMSA weekend since Road America last year, but that event did not include a GTD Pro entry. The Battle on the Bricks triumph is the first time Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams locked out both the GTD Pro and GTD victories on an IMSA race weekend and the Mercedes-AMG GT4 Pilot Challenge (GS) race win adds to the milestone achievement.

The Brickyard triple sweep also continues a recent run of success on the IMS road course that began last October with a win in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour by Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing. Juncadella and Morad co-drove with Raffaele Marciello in that championship-clinching victory.

On Sunday, WeatherTech led the race three different times for a race-high 70 laps, including closing driver Juncadella’s final 22 laps at the front of the field. The No. 79 took the checkered flag with a 4.394-second margin of victory for the team’s third GTD Pro victory of the year following wins earlier in 2023 in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and last May at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Winward’s Sunday victory was the first for a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GTD class this season and followed the team’s first podium showing of the year one race ago at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR).

Similar to the VIR win, starting driver Russell Ward and race finisher Ellis steadily moved up the running order throughout Sunday’s race, but this time a victory appeared in reach. Ellis took the GTD lead for the first time on the 88th of the 104 laps the GTD classes completed, only to be aggressively moved out of the top spot a few laps later.

Undeterred, Ellis muscled passed the competitor the same way he was passed five laps earlier and went on to cross the finish line with a 1.268 second margin of victory for Winward’s first GTD victory since last year at VIR.

Winward’s overall and GS win in Saturday’s four-hour race, which ran into the night after a 4:30 p.m. EDT green flag, also came down to a frenzied fight to the finish. After starting driver Bryce Ward – Russell Ward’s father – survived a bump-and-run spin on the first lap of the race, Morad took over for the fight to the finish.

Morad began a run through the field and took the lead near the halfway point of the race in the No. 57 for the first of five different tours up front. Bolstered by perfect pit stops by the Winward crew, Morad was in the lead of the race heading into the final hour only to have a string of yellow flag caution periods shake things up and set the stage for a thrilling finish.

Morad retook the lead on a restart with 40 minutes to go and battled, frequently side-by-side, with a competitor on another fuel strategy in the race's final 30 minutes. Morad grabbed the lead for the fifth and final time with less than five minutes remaining and crossed the finish line for the win a scant 0.566 of a second ahead of a fast-closing Scott Andrews in the No. 27 Lone Star Racing/Bluff City Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Taking over from starting driver Anton Dias Perera, Andrews challenged in the lead pack throughout the final half of the race and stepped up at the end as Morad's final threat after the competitor on the different fuel strategy pitted on the next-to-last lap for a splash of fuel. Andrews never got close enough to make a move on Morad but joined Perera and the Lone Star team in securing their best race result of the season. The one-two finish was also the first of the season for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 in IMSA competition.

The top-two result helped Mercedes-AMG build its Pilot Challenge GS manufacturer championship lead with only next month's season-ending race at Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on the schedule.

Coming into Indianapolis with a 10-point lead, Mercedes-AMG now heads to the finale with a 40-point advantage over the nearest competitor, 2,770 – 2,730.

The No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 team, and drivers Christian Szymczak and Ken Murillo, remain in contention for the GS team and driver championship ahead of Road Atlanta, but a challenging race Saturday dropped them to third in the point standings. The No. 72 team finished 13th at Indy and trails the new championship leaders by 70 points and the second-place competitors by 10 points.

Following their season-best GS finish Saturday, Lone Star and drivers Perera and Andrews made their WeatherTech Championship debut as a team Sunday in the No. 15 Lone Star Racing/Bluff City Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Rebounding from a pair of early spins, the Lone Star team and drivers met their pre-race goal of finishing in their GTD debut with Andrews bringing the No. 15 across the finish line in 15th place, just one lap behind the front runners.

The season-ending Petit Le Mans weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, October 11 – 14, features the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge finale on Friday and the 10-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race closing out the 2023 season on Saturday.

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 was an absolute rocket ship today. We benefitted from mistakes by others, kept the race clean, had good pit stops and were able to control the race to the end. It is nice to win in Indy again, I won the 8 Hour race here last year, so this is a good track for me and for the Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Indy circuit suits our car. The layout is good, and when that happens you need to capitalize on that and take wins. Jules had a good first stint and led the race after a good P2 qualifying run. It’s a good win for the WeatherTech Racing/Proton team and good momentum going into Petit Le Mans next month.”

Jules Gounon, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing/Proton Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I think the WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 was amazing today. Our engineer won here with Dani last year, so we know what the car wants for this circuit, so that was an advantage for us this weekend. I was on pole here last year, so that experience helped as well. I am really looking forward to Petit Le Mans, I have never raced there before. We lead the Endurance Cup, and I am looking forward to going there for the last race of the season and see if we can win it.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It just feels incredible. We’ve been fighting so hard this season, and it’s just never come our way, so this is the best race out of any for it to come around. It was a new experience for everybody, and we came out on top. Of all the IMSA races I’ve done, this is one of the most difficult. There’s not a lot of overtaking opportunities, and you could just smell the desperation of those Prototypes as you were driving and the moves they were making. I would say this is one of the most difficult wins we’ve had, but it is just a good job by everybody to get it done. It feels amazing. The true test of your character is how you do when you’re down and how you bounce back. Today we showed we’re one of the best and we can do that, so it just feels amazing. We’re going to go home with our heads held high.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a really, really good race but a tough race. A lot of traffic, and like Russell said, there were a lot of desperate moves by some of the Prototypes so there was always a high risk of getting taken out or having contact. From that perspective, we had a good race. We kept it clean for the most part, but a competitor tried to pass me on the grass, which is quite risky. Luckily our car wasn’t too badly damaged, and in the end, I just gave back what he dished

out.”

Bryce Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Honestly, I’m still in a little bit of disbelief. It hasn’t sunk in, how important the track is, how important the events are. To get two wins, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, is absolutely amazing. We were racing against some of the best cars in the world, guys from the top levels who are just top notch. But we put our mark on IMSA, and I hope to be doing this with Mercedes-AMG for many, many years to come. I’m truly proud of the team, they did a magnificent job, they worked so hard. There were no mistakes. We had such great cars. I did say the last time we got the podium a race ago at VIR that this was the beginning of the 2024 season for us. And truly, this is our first race of 2024, even though it isn’t, but we’re really focusing on that now. Let’s get everything together, and when Daytona comes around, I promise you we’ll be working for that top step again.”

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “First of all, Bryce had his best qualifying performance so far and we’re going to continue to improve and improve and improve. The work Bryce is putting in is so appreciated across the entire team, and I really appreciate it because we were struggling, but we worked hard, and this is the result of how much hard work we put in together. We don’t just show up to the track. We’re driving in the simulator and putting in long hours to get better, and it has us in a prime spot. That last hour on Saturday was one of the hardest hours of racing in my entire career. Battling and having to hit a very, very extreme fuel number while keeping cars behind me was so overwhelming. I can’t even begin to describe what was going through my head, trying to be precise, hit the marks, not go wide and pick up marbles. It was just an insane race. If feels like I went through, literally, like a battle for my life. The release on the in lap was insane. I actually cried. I’m not even going to lie. And I was screaming in helmet, which is why my voice is not here anymore. The Windward guys gave us a beautiful car. And the Mercedes-AMG GT4 platform is as strong as ever and I’m looking forward to Road Atlanta.”

Anton Dias Perera, Driver – No. 15 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3; No. 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “In GT4, a podium was a long time coming. The team has been working well together so that was good. It was a brand-new track for me, I’ve never been here, which is always challenging, especially in a new car on Sunday. We checked all the boxes. I spent most of my time on how to manage traffic and keep the car clean, but it was definitely a baptism by fire. It was frenzied and fast paced but it was really good, and for the team as well. Lots of positives and a lot of things to work on too.”

Scott Andrews, Driver – No. 15 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3; No. 27 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was a successful weekend. We walked away with a GS trophy, which had definitely been a long time coming for this particular operation. I’m glad to finally get the monkey off our backs, so to speak. Sunday’s race was about learning. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 program is new and I’m proud to be a part of it. We’ll definitely be able to use this as a building block and continue moving forward.”

Christian Szymczak, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I don’t know if we changed our thinking that much. We just had some bad luck with the strategy the last few races. We need to iron out some issues just so we can get back to where we were, just so we can have the weapon that we need to fight for wins. That’s what we need to get back to. We were better in that department before, but now we’re kind of not, so I see that as a big source of the issue.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We’ll do like any professional sports team and look at all of our data, not just from the race, but practice sessions too, and we will come away stronger. It’s going to take a full team effort, and the Murillo Racing crew does a really good job of rebounding on these kinds of things, so we’re going to come back real strong. We’re going to fight for this championship. It’s been ours all year and we’re going to make sure it’s ours at the end.”

TSR Dodge//SRT Racers Pruett, Hagan Miss by Inches at

Rain-Delayed Pep Boys NHRA Nationals

· Leah Pruett advanced to the semifinals Sunday in her Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Mobil 1/Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster in the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals after recording her quickest run of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Series

· Pruett defeated Clay Millican and Brittany Force in the first two rounds of eliminations at the historic Maple Grove Raceway before recording her quickest elapsed time of the 2023 NHRA Camping World campaign with a 3.677.

· Pruett’s top run wasn’t enough in the semi-finals, losing by inches

· With the semi-final finish, Pruett remains in the top-five in the NHRA Top Fuel points standings

· Matt Hagan, the three-time NHRA Camping World Funny Car champion, drove his TSR Rinnai Dodge//SRT Hellcat to impressive eliminations runs with a 3.871 and 3.859 at Maple Grove

· Hagan, a four-time 2023 NHRA national event winner, set low elasped time in the opening round with his victory over J.R. Todd

· Hagan lost the closest race of the entire 2023 NHRA campaign in the quarterfinals, nipped by 0.0001 seconds and less than 2 inches to Robert Hight with a 3.852 to Hagan’s 3.859

· Hagan now ranks fourth in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car points heading to Charlotte, N.C., next weekend for the NHRA Carolina Nationals

● Follow Dodge in NHRA action at DodgeGarage.com

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023, READING, Pa. – The adage, ‘It’s a game of inches,” couldn’t have been more appropriate for Dodge//SRT racers Leah Pruett and Matt Hagan Sunday in the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

The Tony Stewart Racing pair turned in impressive elapsed times in eliminations in the Top Fuel and Funny Car divisions, but both Pruett and Hagan were nipped at the finish line after strong runs in the rain-delayed first “Countdown to the Championship” event in the NHRA Camping World drag racing series. The finals were concluded on Monday morning.

Despite recording her quickest run of the 2023 NHRA national series at 3.677 seconds in the TSR Mobil 1/Dodge//SRT dragster, Pruett lost by inches to Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel semi-finals. Pruett remains in the top-five in the current NHRA Top Fuel points standings with the tour traveling to the NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend (Sept. 22-24).

“This Reading race gave us great racing conditions,” said Pruett. “Crew chiefs Neal Strausbaugh and Mike Domagala capitalized on every run we made to narrow in on balancing our car’s power and clutch application threshold. In our first-round win against Clay (Millican), it was a pedal-fest after tire shake, so the win was a welcomed break. In the second round, we ran a 3.74 with a (spark) plug shot out, but still grabbed the win. Our ‘hot rod’ came to life in the semifinals running a stout 3.67. We made so much progress tune-up wise. Even though we didn’t advance to the final round, that semifinal round validated what we need and will be implementing the rest of this Countdown. I haven’t been this excited for my team’s momentum. This is the most significant amount of progress we’ve ever made, and I can’t wait for it to show again in Charlotte.”

It was an even closer defeat for the three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion Hagan, who set low ET in the first round Sunday with a 3.871 in defeating J.R. Todd with his TSR Rinnai Dodge//SRT Hellcat. Hagan lost in the second round to Robert Hight in the closest NHRA national event matchup of the 2023 season, falling just short by an incredible 0.0001 seconds, or less than 2 inches.

Hagan left the starting line first with a strong 0.052 reaction time but his 3.859 was just edged out with Hight’s 3.852. Despite the second-round loss, Hagan stays in the top-four in the current NHRA Funny Car points standing with five races remaining.

Hagan was pleased with the Dodge//SRT Hellcat’s performance at Maple Grove and feels confident heading to the NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend.

“With it being the start of the Countdown this weekend, we would have liked to have gone more rounds,” said Hagan. “At least we went a couple of rounds, and we made a lot of strides in the horsepower department. Dickie (Venables – crew chief) is doing a great job making some changes and our miles per hour were up. We ran a 336 and a 335, which shows how much horsepower we have.

“All in all, I think it was a productive weekend. We were just on the backside of a good drag race. To lose by .0001 is just splitting frog hairs out there. We just weren’t on the right side of it. I enjoy running Robert (Hight) and that team always makes us bring our best on the starting line too. You want Robert, you want J.R. (Todd), and you want (Ron) Capps. You want all of the guys that are heavy hitters out here. At the end of the day, I’m proud of my guys, and they did a phenomenal job on the race car. We aren’t leaving here the way we wanted to, but we just have to keep digging and working hard for Charlotte now.”

Team owner Tony Stewart captured his second NHRA national event this year by winning the Top Alcohol Dragster title Monday in the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

The NHRA Carolina Nationals features one nitro qualifying session on Friday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. EDT followed by two qualifying rounds on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. EDT. The final eliminations will begin Sunday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. EDT.

Fox Sports 1 will televise with qualifying round 1 on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 9:30 a.m. EDT and qualifying round 2 on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. EDT. The final eliminations for the NHRA Carolina Nationals will be televised on Fox Sports 1 on Sunday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. EDT.

Link for release and photos:

https://media.stellantisnorthamerica.com/newsrelease.do?id=25314&mid=1

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and Dodge Durango, as well as an R/T performance hybrid version of the all-new Dodge Hornet, representing the brand’s first-ever electrified performance vehicle. Dodge delivers the dragstrip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock; the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world; and the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever; and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet. Combined, these four muscle vehicles make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar
Mopar is the global name for Stellantis genuine parts and authentic accessories.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at blog.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Dodge brand: www.dodge.com
Mopar brand: www.mopar.com
DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com
Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar
Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar
Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA
YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

NHRA Dodge Mopar Leah Pruett Hagan TSR

BRADEN CHIARAMONTE WAS LIGHTNING FAST IN MISSOURI’S KEITH KUNZ MOTORSPORTS CHALLENGE

(El Cajon, CA, September 14, 2023) When talented Southern California racer Braden Chiaramonte arrived at Missouri’s Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex for last week’s POWRi-sanctioned Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge, he brought more than enough with him to win the prestigious race. After all, he carries a boatload of racing talent everywhere he goes. He also had a gorgeous new Hyper house car with his #73B painted on the tail tank. The only thing that did not accompany the young driver to the $10,000.00 to-win race was some good luck. While the luck part put a bit of a damper on the weekend, his talent shined through and made a lasting impression on those watching in person and the thousands around the globe who caught the three nights of racing live online.

The three-night affair brought out some of the best 600cc Micro Wingless Outlaw drivers, including El Cajon, California-based Chiaramonte. The prestigious race was also contested by two-time NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch. The Thursday and Friday portions of the show included qualifying, heat races, qualifiers, semis, and A mains. Saturday’s program featured preliminary mains and the $10,000.00 to win 30-lap main event. The idea for each of the drivers on the first two nights was to at least finish in the top four of the main event to guarantee themselves a starting position in Saturday’s finale.

Thursday, September 7: A total of 56 cars showed up for the opening night of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge. Sixteen-year-old Chiaramonte steered the beautiful bright red, black, and white Hyper #73B to the 10th fastest time in qualifying with a sizzling 12.639 clock stopper. In his heat race, “Buckwylde” started and finished third. That sounds rather mundane. So, the truth be it, he was waist-deep in a crowd-pleasing slide job affair and his hard-fought-for third-place finish guaranteed a ticket into the night's main event.

In his 10-lap qualifier to determine where he would start in the main, Chiaramonte began on the outside of the front row and won the race with room to spare.

Chiaramonte closed the first night by starting seventh in the 25-lap main event. He did not get an ideal start and slipped back to 10th on the first lap. Battling hard in the race, he found himself back to 12th when a red flag halted the action. From that point on he clawed his way forward and by the end of the 15th circuit, he had worked his way up the 10th. A yellow flag slowed the progress of the race on lap 21. By that time, the hard-charging driver had advanced another two spots to 8th. When the green light came back on he became embroiled in a huge battle to try and get up to fourth. He advanced one more position and was on a run when the checkered flag ended the race with him in seventh.

Friday, September 8: Fifty-five cars showed up for the Friday portion of the Keith Kunz Motorsports Challenge. Once again, the kid from San Diego County was lightning fast in qualifying. For the second night in succession, he was 10th fastest. This time he timed in at 12.378. Another hard-fought heat race battle saw Chiaramonte come home fourth after starting third. That earned a ticket straight into the main event for the second night in a row.

For his qualifier, Chiaramonte was on the front row with Busch. The NASCAR star got the jump on the teenager but as the race wore on, Chiaramonte was closing in on the famous leader. However, his progress was interrupted by a yellow flag. That killed his momentum. When the race went back to green, it was like the start with Busch pulling away and then Chiaramonte starting to reel him in. In the end, the teen had to settle for second.

Up to that point, things had gone well for the high school student. He started the main in 12th and was alongside Busch again. Early on, alert driving narrowly allowed Chiaramonte to avoid a car that spun in front of him. Once the race restarted, he got a tremendous start and was steaming forward. He was up to fifth on lap three and one circuit later, he roared into fourth. He was lightning-fast and moving into the top three looked inevitable. That all changed on lap 15 when he suddenly slowed on the track the victim of a broken throttle cable. The crew did not have time to change it and instead of a potential victory, the driver and his team were saddled with a 24th place finish.

Saturday, September 9th: For the finale on Saturday, Chiaramonte had to run one of the B mains and finish in the top eight to punch his ticket into the 30-lap finale. Even though he was starting on the front row, it was never going to be a cakewalk as it was the final chance to get into the A for every driver in the race. Chiaramonte was leading the B when he got clobbered by another car in turn one on lap four. Suddenly, his hopes of making the finale took a dark turn. That is they took a dark turn for those spectating, but not for the relentless driver or his determined team.

Fortunately, the #73B was not badly damaged, but Chiaramonte was forced to restart in 18th and had to race his way up to seventh to make the main for the third consecutive night. To top things off, he only had 11 laps to pass at least 10 fast cars. A subsequent restart with eight laps remaining found the friendly driver still lurking outside of the top 10. Things were not looking good, but you can never count Chiaramonte out. With three laps to go, he was 10th. At the start of the last lap, he was still 10th but in typical “Braden Chiaramonte Never Give Up Style,” he passed three cars to finish seventh!!!

For the finale, Chiaramonte started 24th. Once the green flag opened the action, he started his usual progress towards the front. By lap six, he had raced by eight cars and was up to 16th. All indications were pointing to another great “Chiaramonte Run.” Sadly, that was taken away when another car got into him. The contact moved the front axle over about two inches and a pin fell out of the left rear shackle. It all added up to a DNF and a 24th-place finish.

While the race did not end the way Chiaramonte wanted, he was clearly one of the fastest drivers at the track over the three days. In addition, of the more than 60 different drivers who showed up, he was one of only 14 of them to qualify for all three main events.

This weekend Chiaramonte is off. Next week he is headed to the Lil Texas Speedway in Fort Worth for the three-night Micro Mania. The second annual running of the race will take place on September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. The winner of the main event on the 23rd will take home $10,000.00.

After Texas, the team will book it to the “Richest Weekend In Micro Racing,” the Dirt2Media Deuces Wild Shootout, on September 28th, 29th, and 30th at Indiana’s US24 Raceway. For Stock Non-Wing and Winged A Class Micros, the preliminary main events in each class will pay $1,222.22 each night. At the finale on Saturday, the winner in each class will pocket a cool $12,222.22.

The ambitious team will continue to zig-zag its way across the country when it heads back to the “Golden State” for the annual Cal Cup at the Lemoore Jet Bowl on October 12th, 13th, and 14th. It will turn right around and make the 1,543-mile jaunt to Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Port City Raceway for the finals of the 5th Annual Keith Kunz Giveback Classic on the third weekend in October.

Trackhouse Racing Inks Zane Smith to Multi-Year Agreement

Forms Alliance with Spire Motorsports, Moving Smith to Full Time Cup in 2024

CONCORD, N.C. – Zane Smith is in the House.

Trackhouse Racing today announced a multi-year driving agreement with the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion and its aim to operate three full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries in 2025.

Smith will officially join Trackhouse in January of 2024, teaming with a talented stable of Trackhouse drivers which includes 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship runner-up Ross Chastain, the only foreign-born touring series champion in NASCAR history, Daniel Suárez, and Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealander who shocked the NASCAR world in July by winning his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Course.

In 2024, Smith will race full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving a Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in an alliance with Trackhouse.

“Expansion is not something to be taken lightly, but we feel Trackhouse is commercially and technically positioned for growth,” said Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks. “You need good timing, very good partners and great drivers. Adding Zane is like signing the No. 1 draft pick and we are proud that he is now a member of the Trackhouse family.”

Smith is a nine-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner completing his fourth full-time season this year. He has also run seven Cup Series races in the last two seasons highlighted by a 10th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May.

“This is an incredible moment for me,” said Smith. “Trackhouse is one of the most progressive organizations in the garage. I told some friends a year ago that I wanted to be a part of what Trackhouse is doing and I just can’t believe this is all coming true. I am very excited and thankful to have a future with the organization.

“The Cup series is the pinnacle of racing in America, and I cannot wait to compete, learn and hone my skills against the best in the world. I am really looking forward to working with the Spire Motorsports team in 2024 and believe the alliance with Trackhouse will help continue Spire’s ascent up the grid.”

The Huntington Beach, California native began racing go-karts in 2004 and won championships five consecutive years before moving to legends car racing and super late models. He recorded victories in the World Series of Asphalt, Pro All Stars Series and the CARS Tour, as well as garnering a runner-up finish in the Snowball Derby.

He moved to ARCA racing winning four races and finishing second in the standings in 2018. He ran 10 Xfinity Series races in 2019 scoring two top-five finishes and moved to the truck series fulltime finishing second in the standings in 2020 and 2021.

He won the 2022 title and is still in the truck series playoffs as he seeks a second consecutive championship.

Spire Motorsports was founded in 2018 by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. The team currently fields two full-time NASCAR Cup Series teams with drivers Corey LaJoie and Ty Dillon and fields select entries in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series competition.

The team earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023 when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“Spire Motorsports will acquire a NASCAR charter from Live Fast Motorsports prior to the 2024 season and we’re thrilled to offer our support to Trackhouse Racing, a key member of the Chevrolet family,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Spire has a longstanding relationship with Justin Marks and we are proud of everything he and all the men and women at Trackhouse have accomplished in a relatively short time.

“This cooperative agreement is also proof-positive of the hard work of everyone at Spire Motorsports. We certainly wouldn’t be in this position without Mr. Hendrick and the competition group at Hendrick Motorsports so we continue to be grateful for that relationship. T.J. and I are also grateful to B.J. McLeod and Matt Tifft for working with us on the charter acquisition. We’re looking at a watershed moment for our organization that further demonstrates our commitment to the sport.”

Smith joins a Trackhouse Racing team that began when Marks retired from a fulltime driving career in NASCAR and sports car racing to create Trackhouse Entertainment Group in 2020 with the goal of creating a racing brand that transcends the sport.

Marks formed Trackhouse Racing that took to the track in 2021 with Suárez behind the wheel. In January 2021, the team announced a partnership with international superstar entertainer Pitbull who has been a frequent guest at NASCAR races and elevated Trackhouse’s presence through inclusion in several of his songs, music videos and named his upcoming album “Trackhouse.”

Midway through the 2021 season, Trackhouse Racing bought the NASCAR assets of Chip Ganassi Racing and began the 2022 season as its own two-car team with Suárez and Chastain as drivers. Chastain gave the organization its first victory at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 27 and won again at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 24. Suárez became the first Mexican (Monterrey) driver to win a Cup race when he dominated the Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway race in June 20.

In 2023, Chastain won the Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway race on June 25 and van Gisbergen won the inaugural Chicago Street race on July 2 driving for Trackhouse’s PROJECT91 program Marks created to offer NASCAR opportunities to international driving stars. Trackhouse Entertainment Group operates out of Nashville, Tenn. while the race shop is in Concord, North Carolina