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CONCORD, N.C. (Sept 25, 2022) – Three-time world champion Antron Brown picked up his first playoff win in six years on Sunday at zMAX Dragway, driving to the Top Fuel victory at the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.   Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) also picked up wins at the second of six races in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.   Brown put together a run of 3.672-seconds at 335.73 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster, slipping past points leader Justin Ashley on a holeshot in a thrilling final round to win his first race in the Countdown to the Championship since 2016. It is Brown’s third victory in the past five races and the 71st in his career, as the first-year team owner also moved to second in the points standings with four races left in 2022. To reach the finals, Brown beat three standout competitors, including Reading winner Austin Prock, Brittany Force and Clay Millican. He followed with a .035 reaction time in the final round, which was enough to allow him to beat Ashley’s quicker 3.671 at 333.99.   “When you look at the Top Fuel class, the first round is a final round. It’s incredible competition and my hat is off to my team,” Brown said. “They’re just incredible, we’ve never lost faith and this group just kept digging. To own a team and do what we’ve done, we’re blessed. To win the second race in the Countdown, that’s really huge. This is where it really gets good and it gets really tight, and you have to fight for every point. It’s a blessing to make it here. If you win a race today, you’re doing something special, and I’ve got a special group behind me.   “Justin was dropping bombs on people all day long and we knew that was going to be a tough matchup. That was just a fun final. We push each other all the time and I knew we were both going to give it everything on the starting line. Our car stayed lit and I just tried to keep it straight as an arrow.”   Ashley, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, advanced to his second straight final round thanks to wins against Alex Laughlin, four-time defending world champ Steve Torrence and Doug Kalitta. It’s the sixth final round this year for Ashley, who holds a 43-point lead over Brown after two playoff races.   Capps, the defending world champ in Funny Car, also pulled to second in points with his win on Sunday, hanging on against Alexis DeJoria in the championship round with a 3.967 at 267.32 in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. That gives Capps his fourth win this season, which is also his first as a team owner, and 72nd in his standout career. Capps’ Sunday included wins against Blake Alexander, Bob Tasca III and then 16-time world champ and No. 1 qualifier John Force to set up the marquee matchup with DeJoria. Capps was quicker on the starting line and then hung on for the victory, which puts him just 27 points behind leader Robert Hight as the Countdown to the Championship nears the halfway mark.   “I can’t say enough about the people around me,” said Capps, who has wins in three of the past four Funny Car races. “There’s nothing better than throwing down in the first round and it was on from there. From the second round on, we were just picking up points and it worked out great. It’s fun to be in our pit area right now. It’s just a good vibe right now and I wanted a place like this. We’re very blessed to do this and this team, they just raise the bar for me. "It was an emotional day and every round win was huge. I knew in Indy we had a great weekend, but we were humbled (in Reading). That's drag racing and I just wanted to get back in the fight (today). It's fun to be right back in it."   DeJoria knocked off J.R. Todd, Hight and Matt Hagan to reach the finals for the first time this season and the 12th time in her career.   Stanfield made a major move and jumped back into the championship mix on Sunday in Pro Stock, capturing his first career Countdown to the Championship victory by knocking off Matt Hartford in the final round with a run of 6.567 at 210.21 in his Janac Brothers Chevrolet Camaro. It’s Stanfield’s third win this season and seventh in his career and it might have come at the perfect time when it comes to the title conversation. He knocked off Deric Kramer, defending world champion Greg Anderson and Troy Coughlin Jr. to reach the final round and then left first on Hartford en route to the playoff win. Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders held a sizable lead after the first race in the Countdown to the Championship, but Stanfield pulled within 64 points after his impressive day at zMAX Dragway.   “We’ve had a little adversity lately and we came through right there,” said Stanfield, who also advanced to his seventh final round in 2022. “I’ve been struggling as a driver, and we pulled it together today. The pressure was definitely on (in the finals), but I just want to keep driving and keep winning. I’m super thankful for this opportunity I have, and this was a great event at a great facility, and we’ll try to get another (win) next weekend. Matt has had my number lately, but we got it done today and I’m super pumped up. We wanted to come in and kind of turn things around this weekend and this was probably the most consistent driving job I've done all year long."   Hartford enjoyed a big day as well, beating Bo Butner, Dallas Glenn, and Enders to reach the finals for the second time this season and the 12th time overall.   The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis. *** CONCORD, N.C. -- Final finish order (1-16) at the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway. The race is the 18th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TOP FUEL: 1. Antron Brown; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Clay Millican; 4. Doug Kalitta; 5. Mike Salinas; 6. Steve Torrence; 7. Brittany Force; 8. Josh Hart; 9. Shawn Langdon; 10. Tony Schumacher; 11. Spencer Massey; 12. Austin Prock; 13. Doug Foley; 14. Leah Pruett; 15. Alex Laughlin; 16. Billy Torrence. FUNNY CAR: 1. Ron Capps; 2. Alexis DeJoria; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. John Force; 5. Robert Hight; 6. Bob Tasca III; 7. Chad Green; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. J.R. Todd; 10. John Smith; 11. Blake Alexander; 12. Jim Campbell; 13. Tim Wilkerson. PRO STOCK: 1. Aaron Stanfield; 2. Matt Hartford; 3. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 4. Erica Enders; 5. Dallas Glenn; 6. Greg Anderson; 7. Kyle Koretsky; 8. Cristian Cuadra; 9. Bo Butner; 10. Deric Kramer; 11. Mason McGaha; 12. Chris McGaha; 13. Fernando Cuadra; 14. Larry Morgan; 15. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 16. Camrie Caruso. CONCORD, N.C. -- Sunday's final results from the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway. The race is the 18th of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel -- Antron Brown, 3.672 seconds, 335.73 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.671 seconds, 333.99 mph. Funny Car -- Ron Capps, Toyota Supra, 3.967, 267.32 def. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.985, 266.85. Pro Stock -- Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.567, 210.21 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.569, 209.82. Top Alcohol Dragster -- Earl Nichols Jr., 5.289, 273.61 def. Jasmine Salinas, 5.291, 275.96. Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 8.302, 109.29 def. Shane Westerfield, Camaro, Foul - Red Light. Competition Eliminator -- Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 8.946, 152.16 def. David Eaton, Roadster, 6.743, 169.08. Super Stock -- Troy Huntzberry, Chevy Cobalt, 10.040, 131.77 def. Peter D'Agnolo, Chevy Camaro, 9.508, 134.69. Stock Eliminator -- Dan Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 11.449, 105.03 def. Mitch Kight, Plymouth Barracuda, Foul - Red Light. Super Comp -- Robert Houston, Dragster, 9.736, 122.40 def. Dan Foley, Dragster, Foul - Red Light. Super Gas -- Billy Upton, Chevy Corvette, 9.899, 162.90 def. Ernie Knight, Chevy Nova, 9.895, 138.83. Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Jeremy Hancock, Dragster, 8.956, 99.02 def. Clint Riley, Dragster, Foul - Red Light. Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Jerry Albert, Chevy Camaro, 6.611, 208.52 def. Larry Willard, Chevy Bel Air, 7.328, 182.23. Pro Modified -- Steve Jackson, Chevy Camaro, 5.715, 254.62 def. Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.745, 249.90. Mountain Motor Pro Stock -- JR Carr, Chevy Camaro, 6.277, 224.06 def. John DeFlorian Jr, Camaro, 6.291, 223.58. CONCORD, N.C. -- Final round-by-round results from the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway, the 18th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Josh Hart, 3.708, 322.19 def. Tony Schumacher, 3.736, 296.76; Brittany Force, 3.670, 335.57 def. Spencer Massey, 3.754, 326.87; Clay Millican, 3.739, 326.48 def. Doug Foley, 3.787, 313.73; Justin Ashley, 3.688, 330.80 def. Alex Laughlin, 3.814, 303.43; Mike Salinas, 3.696, 331.20 def. Leah Pruett, 3.796, 314.39; Doug Kalitta, 3.710, 327.19 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.731, 327.19; Antron Brown, 3.691, 331.20 def. Austin Prock, 3.778, 328.14; Steve Torrence, 3.690, 331.61 def. Billy Torrence, Broke - No Show; QUARTERFINALS -- Millican, 3.681, 332.59 def. Hart, 7.510, 94.70; Brown, 3.733, 287.23 def. Force, 5.252, 161.48; Ashley, 3.697, 332.43 def. S. Torrence, 3.725, 316.08; Kalitta, 3.696, 327.59 def. Salinas, 3.720, 333.08; SEMIFINALS -- Ashley, 3.691, 333.91 def. Kalitta, 7.778, 119.78; Brown, 3.687, 325.14 def. Millican, 3.699, 331.20; FINAL -- Brown, 3.672, 335.73 def. Ashley, 3.671, 333.99. FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Supra, 3.878, 334.73 def. J.R. Todd, Supra, 4.192, 239.70; Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.869, 331.53 def. Jim Campbell, Dodge Charger, 5.910, 116.76; John Force, Camaro, 7.621, 80.92 was unopposed; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.929, 315.71 def. John Smith, Charger, 4.369, 217.70; Ron Capps, Supra, 3.889, 326.79 def. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 4.535, 203.25; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.882, 330.80 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.945, 320.05; Chad Green, Mustang, 3.909, 323.43 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, Foul - Centerline; QUARTERFINALS -- Hagan, 10.423, 77.63 was unopposed; DeJoria, 3.918, 324.59 def. Hight, 3.924, 320.36; Capps, 3.885, 335.07 def. Tasca III, 8.251, 101.66; Force, 3.918, 330.39 def. Green, Broke; SEMIFINALS -- DeJoria, 3.887, 332.02 def. Hagan, 3.893, 334.07; Capps, 3.899, 328.22 def. Force, 3.915, 331.53; FINAL -- Capps, 3.967, 267.32 def. DeJoria, 3.985, 266.85. PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.579, 208.10 def. Camrie Caruso, Chevy Camaro, 15.292, 57.70; Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.563, 209.52 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.581, 209.14; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.566, 209.82 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.580, 209.01; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.574, 209.04 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.967, 159.91; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.562, 209.62 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.553, 209.23; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.558, 209.04 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.594, 207.62; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.579, 208.68 def. Fernando Cuadra, Mustang, 6.605, 207.98; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.550, 210.28 def. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 6.635, 208.23; QUARTERFINALS -- Coughlin Jr., 6.570, 209.17 def. Koretsky, 6.572, 209.88; Hartford, 6.552, 209.65 def. Glenn, 6.562, 208.39; Stanfield, 6.572, 210.05 def. Anderson, 6.562, 209.04; Enders, 6.545, 210.31 def. C. Cuadra, 6.598, 208.07; SEMIFINALS -- Stanfield, 6.571, 209.46 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.578, 209.17; Hartford, 6.568, 209.01 def. Enders, 9.312, 107.39; FINAL -- Stanfield, 6.567, 210.21 def. Hartford, 6.569, 209.82. CONCORD, N.C. -- Point standings (top 10) following the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway, the 18th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley, 2,272; 2. Antron Brown, 2,229; 3. Brittany Force, 2,220; 4. Mike Salinas, 2,218; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,167; 6. Doug Kalitta, 2,140; 7. Josh Hart, 2,139; 8. Austin Prock, 2,129; 9. Clay Millican, 2,125; 10. Leah Pruett, 2,094; 11. Shawm Langdon, 2084; 12. Tony Schumacher, 2064. Funny Car 1. Robert Hight, 2,283; 2. Ron Capps, 2,256; 3. Matt Hagan, 2,223; 4. John Force, 2,209; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,179; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 2,154; 7. J.R. Todd, 2,133; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2,121; 9. Cruz Pedregon, 2,105; 10. Jim Campbell, 2,054; 11. Blake Alexander, 2032. Pro Stock 1. Erica Enders, 2,312; 2. Aaron Stanfield, 2,248; 3. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,215; 4. Greg Anderson, 2,203; 5. Kyle Koretsky, 2,190; 6. Dallas Glenn, 2,162; 7. Matt Hartford, 2,160; 8. Mason McGaha, 2,093; 9. Camrie Caruso, 2,085; 10. Bo Butner, 2,084; Fernando Jr. 2064; 12. Cristian Cuadra, 2054; 13. Deric Kramer, 2043; 14. Chris McGaha, 2023; 15. Fernando Cuadra, 2012.

Sept. 24, 2022 By Holly Cain NASCAR Wire Service FORT WORTH, Texas _ Noah Gragson parked his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet at the finish line, emerged through his car’s roof flap and raised his arms in triumph taking in the loud cheers from the Texas Motor Speedway grandstands as he celebrated a historic fourth consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday afternoon in the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300. It was a series best and career-high seventh win on the season for the 24-year old Las Vegas native and automatically reserves his spot in the next round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs. That fourth consecutive victory is significant historically as well - tying one of the longstanding records- set in 1983 - by Sam Ard. Although it was a tumultuous Playoff opener for many of the championship contenders, Gragson was out front often and ultimately when he needed to be. He didn’t win a Stage, but led a race best 85-of-200 laps and held off fellow 2022 Playoff contenders Austin Hill and Ty Gibbs by 1.238-seconds to earn the big trophy - and even more momentum at just the right time of the calendar. “This No. 9 team, man, they’re on fire and all you fans, you keep us motivated,’’ Gragson told the cheering grandstands. “We’re gonna come back and win more races for you. You guys are awesome and we appreciate you. Thanks for coming out. “Just this team, I mean the pit crew’s done awesome and our car was as fast as Xfinity internet all day and I’m just so thankful for the opportunity.’’ “Such a relief,’’ he continued. “We lost this race back in 2020 and just executed a great race [today],’’ he continued. Eight Playoff cars finished in the Top-10. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst was fifth, followed by Playoff driver Josh Berry (JR Motorsports), Sheldon Creed, Playoff drivers Sam Mayer (JR Motorsports) and Ryan Sieg (Ryan Sieg Racing). C.J. McLaughlin was 10th – the first Top-10 of his career. Compared to his closest competitors, Gragson’s day was more a matter of holding court. Several other race contenders and Playoff competitors had busier days of survival and the power of positive thinking. Both Gibbs, who finished third and regular season champion A.J. Allmendinger, who finished fourth, had to rally to those finishing positions. Gibbs started the race from the rear of the field after failing technical inspection. And the two-time regular season champion Allmendinger? He just had a hectic afternoon overcoming race setbacks. Two multi-car accidents on mid-race restarts eliminated the winning opportunity for several Playoff drivers and now place them in catch-up mode only one race into the Playoff push. Eight cars were involved in a crash on Lap 110, including regular season champion Allmendinger, whose No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet – only a few laps removed from the Stage 2 victory - was damaged. Quick repairs returned him to the track and the positions he lost during the pit stop actually proved to be advantageous as he missed the next accident up front after returning to the race. It was a similar scene on the ensuing restart, only this time the accident started at the front. John Hunter Nemechek, who had led a race best 60 laps – at that point - got loose at the front of the pack, his Toyota colliding with Justin Allgaier’s Chevy. The hard contact sent them both hard into the wall and caused another chain-reaction accident that ended up collecting nine cars in all – including Playoff drivers Brandon Jones, the race polesitter, and 2021 series champion Daniel Hemric (who won Stage 1) in addition to Allgaier. As with that Playoff trio, It was the end of the day for Nemechek, a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship driver who was driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at Texas as part of the owner’s championship chase. “The 7 (Allgaier) chose the top behind me, and I haven’t seen the replay of it, but the 7 chose the top behind me and started pushing,’’ Nemechek said. “The 21 (Austin Hill) made it three-wide on the 9 (Gragson) and I was three-wide at the top being able to be in the race and I think we ended up four-wide at one point which doesn’t really work aero-wide in the pack. The resin was up there as well and I don’t know. It sucks. “I thought we were going to have a shot to win the race and repeat from last year. It didn’t work out. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds.” With two more races remaining in this opening Playoff round – at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and the Charlotte ROVAL road course – Gragson’s win is an automatic berth into the next Playoff round. Allmendinger and Gibbs are second and third in the standings, 26 and 27 points – respectively behind Allmendinger. Eight of the 12 Playoff drivers will advance following the ROVAL race. Riley Herbst (-1), Hemric (-8), Jones (-13) and Jeremy Clements (-29) whose car retired early with an engine issue, now find themselves in the bottom four of the Playoff standings going to Talladega. The NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Round 2 of the Playoffs, the Sparks 300 on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Brandon Brown is the defending race winner. NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - 18th Annual Andy's Frozen Custard 300 Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas Saturday, September 24, 2022 1. (2) Noah Gragson (P), Chevrolet, 200. 2. (9) Austin Hill # (P), Chevrolet, 200. 3. (8) Ty Gibbs (P), Toyota, 200. 4. (7) AJ Allmendinger (P), Chevrolet, 200. 5. (11) Riley Herbst (P), Ford, 200. 6. (16) Josh Berry (P), Chevrolet, 200. 7. (13) Sheldon Creed #, Chevrolet, 200. 8. (5) Sam Mayer (P), Chevrolet, 200. 9. (14) Ryan Sieg (P), Ford, 199. 10. (35) CJ McLaughlin, Ford, 199. 11. (20) Nicholas Sanchez, Chevrolet, 199. 12. (18) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 199. 13. (24) Stefan Parsons(i), Chevrolet, 199. 14. (29) Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 199. 15. (17) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 199. 16. (32) Matt Mills(i), Chevrolet, 198. 17. (26) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 197. 18. (19) Joe Graf Jr, Ford, 197. 19. (25) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 197. 20. (31) Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 196. 21. (23) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 190. 22. (15) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, Accident, 141. 23. (37) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, DVP, 132. 24. (22) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, Accident, 131. 25. (36) Joey Gase, Toyota, DVP, 120. 26. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Accident, 118. 27. (1) Brandon Jones (P), Toyota, Accident, 117. 28. (4) John Hunter Nemechek(i) (P), Toyota, Accident, 116. 29. (6) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 116. 30. (3) Daniel Hemric (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 116. 31. (21) Brennan Poole(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 116. 32. (33) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, Accident, 116. 33. (12) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Accident, 109. 34. (28) JJ Yeley, Ford, Water Pump, 99. 35. (38) Akinori Ogata(i), Toyota, Suspension, 99. 36. (10) Jeremy Clements (P), Chevrolet, Ignition, 79. 37. (34) David Starr, Ford, Accident, 77. 38. (27) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota, Accident, 17. Average Speed of Race Winner: 113.672 mph. Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 38 Mins, 21 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.238 Seconds. Caution Flags: 9 for 52 laps. Lead Changes: 14 among 7 drivers. Lap Leaders: B. Jones (P) 0;N. Gragson (P) 1-10;J. Nemechek(i) (P) 11-38;D. Hemric (P) 39-47;J. Nemechek(i) (P) 48-53;T. Gibbs (P) 54-55;J. Nemechek(i) (P) 56-81;T. Gibbs (P) 82;D. Hemric (P) 83-85;A. Allmendinger (P) 86-92;N. Gragson (P) 93-155;A. Hill # (P) 156;A. Allmendinger (P) 157-183;J. Burton 184-188;N. Gragson (P) 189-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Noah Gragson (P) 3 times for 85 laps; John Hunter Nemechek(i) (P) 3 times for 60 laps; AJ Allmendinger (P) 2 times for 34 laps; Daniel Hemric (P) 2 times for 12 laps; Jeb Burton 1 time for 5 laps; Ty Gibbs (P) 2 times for 3 laps; Austin Hill # (P) 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 11,7,21,9,16,8,18,39,54,34 Stage #2 Top Ten: 16,9,18,11,54,21,7,39,19,1 ---30—

By Adam Carabine

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept 23, 2022) – Looking to sweep both races at zMAX Dragway this season, legendary Funny Car driver John Force rolled to the provisional No. 1 position on Friday in Charlotte at the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Force, who has won the four-wide race at the track the past two years, just missed the track record at the second race in the playoffs, going 3.854-seconds at 330.47 mph in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS. If it holds it would be the 16-time world champion’s second No. 1 qualifier this year and 165th in his career. Force has forged an impressive rhythm at the state-of-the-art facility in recent years and is trying to make a move in the points standings as well. He’s currently fourth in points and is looking to make a big push this weekend. “It’s a great track to run numbers like this, but there’s a stack of them right behind me that can do the same, and we’re going to have conditions like this tomorrow,” Force said. “We’ve got a good team and it’s coming around, (but) we’ve got a lot of work to do. They were all there tomorrow, but at least we got to shine for one night. Our team had a great weekend last weekend with Robert (Hight) and Austin (Prock) both winning, and we’re back in the fight in the Countdown.” Three other standouts closely followed right behind Force, as points leader Hight, defending world champ Ron Capps and Matt Hagan all went 3.86. Hagan is currently second with his run of 3.861 at 329.99, with Hight and Capps going 3.864 and 3.866, respectively. Bob Tasca III rounded out the top five with a 3.876. Looking to get into the Top Fuel championship hunt with a late-season run – and also pick up a milestone victory along the way – Kalitta was the only driver to dip into the 3.60s on Friday, rocketing to the top with his run of 3.694 at 326.56 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. Kalitta is seeking his second No. 1 qualifier this season, but also his 50th career win – and first victory since 2020 – as he looks to ramp up his 2022 performance. The veteran hasn’t been to a final round yet this year, but timing is everything in the Countdown to the Championship and Kalitta looked strong on Friday under the lights at zMAX Dragway. “I always love coming here and the conditions were perfect,” Kalitta said. “We had a lot of confidence in that run, and I was really happy it ran what it did. We’re getting down to the wire and we’re trying to go rounds. It was a great effort by the team and the car stayed in the groove well. It was pretty impressive with all the side-by-side runs and we’re looking forward to getting after it tomorrow. All year long, we’ve tried to keep improving and I think we’ve stumbled upon some things. This would be an awesome time to start going rounds and have a consistent car.” Competing in the playoffs for the first time, defending event winner and second-year driver Josh Hart is currently second thanks to his 3.702 at 328.38, while points leader Justin Ashley is right behind with a 3.703 at 330.72. Enders delivered an impressive boom to open Pro Stock qualifying on Friday in Charlotte, rolling to No. 1 by a considerable margin with her 6.513 at 210.93 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. The next closest to her was defending world champ Greg Anderson, who went 6.535 at 209.82, but Enders remained a step ahead as she closes in on her fourth No. 1 position this season and 27th in her career. After a dominant performance last weekend in Reading to open the Countdown to the Championship, Enders, the points leader and four-time world champ, kept up her impressive pace to open up the race weekend at zMAX Dragway. “This is a dream come true for me,” Enders said. “The drive for five (world championships) is still alive and we’re going to try to continue to execute the best we can. It definitely felt good when I let the clutch out. All these (qualifying) points matter in the Countdown and our goal is to accumulate as many as we can. We did that in Reading and we're going to try to keep our foot on their throats. We're off to a good start (in the Countdown), but we have five races left and we want to capitalize on every moment. We have to make these five races count and see what happens." Anderson, who won in Indy to close the regular season, sits second while his KB Racing teammate, Dallas Glenn, is third after his pass of 6.537 at 210.50. Qualifying continues at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. *** CONCORD, N.C. -- Friday's results after the first one of three rounds of qualifying for the 14th annual Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway, 18th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday's final eliminations. Top Fuel -- 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.694 seconds, 326.56 mph; 2. Josh Hart, 3.702, 328.38; 3. Justin Ashley, 3.703, 330.72; 4. Brittany Force, 3.712, 297.29; 5. Clay Millican, 3.721, 329.58; 6. Antron Brown, 3.728, 331.28; 7. Billy Torrence, 3.750, 326.08; 8. Leah Pruett, 3.758, 316.82; 9. Doug Foley, 3.778, 322.88; 10. Shawn Langdon, 3.779, 324.20; 11. Alex Laughlin, 3.815, 320.89; 12. Austin Prock, 5.887, 107.70; 13. Tony Schumacher, 5.891, 107.05; 14. Mike Salinas, 6.873, 82.29; 15. Steve Torrence, 7.280, 80.55; 16. Spencer Massey, 11.242, 80.14. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.854, 330.47; 2. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.861, 329.99; 3. Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.864, 331.45; 4. Ron Capps, Toyota Supra, 3.866, 334.90; 5. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.876, 329.26; 6. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.891, 332.34; 7. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.908, 323.04; 8. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.919, 329.42; 9. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.937, 322.04; 10. J.R. Todd, Supra, 3.950, 328.54; 11. Jim Campbell, Charger, 3.990, 317.34; 12. Chad Green, Mustang, 7.087, 85.15. Pro Stock -- 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.513, 210.93; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.535, 209.82; 3. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.537, 210.50; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.540, 209.95; 5. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.543, 209.88; 6. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.544, 210.83; 7. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.571, 209.59; 8. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.580, 208.26; 9. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.581, 210.24; 10. Fernando Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.594, 209.33; 11. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.594, 202.42; 12. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 9.196, 101.71; 13. Rob Tucker, Camaro, 9.690, 131.73; 14. Larry Morgan, Camaro, 11.802, 75.25; 15. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 23.258, 28.65; 16. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 23.725, 32.25. Not Qualified: 17. Bo Butner, broke. -NHRA-

NASCAR's official Twitter parodied some of the lightning challenges from the famed console video game NASCAR Thunder 2003 earlier this week. We took some time to play the game a while back and wanted to dig up the memories too! Enjoy below as we review the list of every NASCAR *(Winston) Cup Series Driver that was included in the original release, along with some of the legends that they sprinkled in for fun. Who was your favorite to race as when playing NASCAR Thunder?

Reading, PA (September 18th, 2022) There hasn't been a tremendous amount of people who are fortunate enough to refer to themselves as the winner of an NHRA National event. In 2019 at Seattle, Austin Prock claimed that title himself, NHRA Winner. Later that season, another accolade, the 2019 Rookie of The Year. It's been three seasons since Prock won that day. He's been on a mission to remind people that he is, in fact, a winner in the NHRA Camping World Series. Unlike many other racers who may experience lengthy or even career defining losing streaks, Austin wasn't a driver who was responsible for his own loss. As a result of Covid-19's financial impact on our world's economy, Austin's sponsors Montana Brand and Rocky Mountain Twist were forced to suspend their relationship with motorsports until another time. Prock discussed with Racing Refresh earlier this month regarding the emotions that he dealt with over the last two seasons. "It was awesome. Then to get it pulled out from underneath of me because of the pandemic, it hurt. I was living my dream as a professional race car driver and it only lasted a year and a couple of races. Having to take a step back was tough, but we make the best out of it. I've learned a lot more about the race car and I'm great friends with my sponsor Frank." Heading into the end of the regular season and into the Countdown for the Championship, Prock was also asked to recap the highs that he's experienced, most notably his big win at Seattle. "I actually have a really good memory of every race I've competed in. I remember waking up in Seattle and you had a good feeling that it was going to be a good day. I can remember every round who I raced, I even know the reaction times. This is what I love to do." We observed Prock several times through the week of the US Nationals in Indianapolis working in a much more hands-on style than other professional drivers in the NHRA. He was assisting teams mix fluids, move parts, tune his motor, and more. The fans took no loss, he was happy to fulfill his entertainment and media roles as well. "This is what I love to do. I'm at the shop every day, I'm still building the cars. I still help build the superchargers. This is my life, I'll remember a lot of it." Prock said regarding his work ethic. That work ethic paid off this afternoon in Reading Pennsylvania. Along with Joey Gladstone, Erica Enders, and JFR teammate Robert Hight, Austin won the Pep Boys Nationals for his second career win and first of the 2022 season. “It’s awesome and we’re right back in the hunt of this thing,” said Prock, who became the ninth different winner in Top Fuel this year. “If you come out and win Reading, you’re right back in it. This is unbelievable and it was just one of those days where everything was going our way. I’m so proud of this team and thank you to John Force for giving me the opportunity. This was exactly what we needed. - Prock defeated Justin Ashley with his 3.755-second lap at 327.90 mph at Maple Grove Raceway on Sunday in the final round. Video Courtesy NHRA.tv “We came into the Countdown sitting 12th, and if we wanted to play for the big trophy, we knew we had to win this weekend. Everybody kept their heads down and still believed in themselves, and that attitude is how you win a Wally. I was really proud to win four rounds; it was the first time in a long time that I've been able to do that on Sunday. It's super cool that we came out on the good side of a close race.” Prior to the week a press conference with regular season champions was held and many of the drivers were asked about the additional drivers who were added into the 2022 Countdown To The Championship. There wasn't a driver involved who discredited their competition, including Prock. For any of his critics, Austin Prock carried his Montana Brands dragster to the best result all weekend. In a lengthy past of icons, he just might be the underdog the NHRA's fans have been craving.

READING, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2022) – It was a dominant start for John Force Racing to open the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as Top Fuel’s Austin Prock and Funny Car points leader Robert Hight powered to wins on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd at Maple Grove Raceway at the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up wins at the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Opening the postseason from the 12th position, Prock drove to his second career win and first of the season with his run of 3.755-seconds at 329.67 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster in the final round against points leader Justin Ashley. Prock also jumped six spots in the standings with five races remaining in 2022. His day started with round wins against Doug Foley, Steve Torrence, and Indy winner Antron Brown, outdueling Brown on a spectacular pedalfest in the semifinals. From there, he won a thrilling side-by-side race with Ashley to finish off a monumental weekend. “It’s awesome and we’re right back in the hunt of this thing,” said Prock, who became the ninth different winner in Top Fuel this year. “If you come out and win Reading, you’re right back in it. This is unbelievable and it was just one of those days where everything was going our way. I’m so proud of this team and thank you to John Force for giving me the opportunity. This was exactly what we needed. “We came into the Countdown sitting 12th, and if we wanted to play for the big trophy, we knew we had to win this weekend. Everybody kept their heads down and still believed in themselves, and that attitude is how you win a Wally. I was really proud to win four rounds; it was the first time in a long time that I've been able to do that on Sunday. It's super cool that we came out on the good side of a close race.” To reach the final round for the fifth time this season, Ashley, who took over the points lead, knocked off Jeff Chatterson, Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas. Ashley jumped past Brittany Force in the points standings on Sunday and will take a nine-point lead to Charlotte. Hight continued his spectacular season, racing to his seventh win this season and the 60th of his career, making a pass of 3.937 at 328.38 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS against Tim Wilkerson in the championship round. Hight and his team were again impressively consistent throughout eliminations, knocking off Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan to reach the final round. Wilkerson left early against Hight, who picked up a milestone victory and remains the favorite to win a fourth world championship as his points lead stretched to 81 points over Hagan. "This is exactly how we scripted it,” Hight said. “The only problem is, it's really easy to script a weekend and a lot harder to get the job done. We needed to qualify well and get bonus points every run, because at the end of the year, those bonus points can be the difference. "This is just hard to believe, what we're doing. I would have never guessed somebody would win seven Funny Car races. It's dog-eat-dog out there, so this is amazing. This is huge, to start out like this, but it's one down and five to go. We're going to have fun today and then go focus on Charlotte and try to get it done next week. If we can do that, we'll really be in a good position." Tim Wilkerson overcame a fire in the semifinal round to advance to his second final round this season and the 49th in his career. He also picked up round wins against Alexis DeJoria, defending world champ Ron Capps and John Force, who was making his 800th career start on Sunday. Enders also continued her dominant run in Pro Stock, avenging a loss to Troy Coughlin in the final round at Seattle with a stellar run of 6.582 at 209.72 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway. Just like her incredible start to the year, Enders opened the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in perfect fashion, collecting her seventh win this season and 40th in her career. Her standout Sunday included round wins against Alan Prusiensky, Matt Hartford, and Kyle Koretsky, wrapping up eliminations with her first victory at the facility. Her lead also stands at 81 points over defending world champ Greg Anderson after the first playoff race. "It was an amazing day, but really, ever since we set foot on the property it's been great,” Enders said. “Bo Butner went to No. 1, and we were No. 2, but after that, we were low every time we went down the track. This Countdown is going to be a dogfight, as it is every single year. We have to capitalize on every moment and execute perfectly from here. "This is definitely special. A goal that I wrote down on January 1st was that I wanted to win at the tracks we haven't won before, and we started off on the right foot in Pomona. We won the 900th Pro Stock race and Sonoma has been on my list every year. We got it done, then we came here to Reading and got it done as well.” Coughlin reached the final round for the fourth time this season, knocking off Cristian Cuadra, No. 1 qualifier Bo Butner and Anderson in the semifinals. Joey Gladstone jumped back into the points lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle, capping off a memorable day at the track where he grew up with a win in the final round against Angie Smith, who went red. Gladstone put together a strong run of 6.835 at 196.93 to cap off his day and pick up his third win this season, with all of them coming in the last four races for the category. After Matt Smith jumped into the points lead with his Indy win, Gladstone grabbed it back to open the Countdown to the Championship, knocking off Hector Arana Jr., Matt Smith in a pivotal second-round matchup and then Marc Ingwersen to reach the final round. His points lead now stands at 29 over M. Smith and Gladstone was sure to soak in the victory in what’s been a breakout season. "This is the playoffs, so that win is big. Matt [Smith] has been a strong force, so to be able to get a good edge is awesome,” Gladstone said. “We'll need it because he hauls butt. Everyone in this class is so tough, everybody is a contender, and any day you can beat one Smith is a good day – but two Smiths? That's a big deal. I'm proud of my team and proud of my tuner. Today is my daughter, Olivia's, birthday. It was a really special day, and how memorable is it to do this on her birthday." Smith reached her second final round this season thanks to victories against Ron Tornow, Eddie Krawiec and defending event winner Steve Johnson. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action on Sept. 23-25 with the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. *** Pa. -- Final finish order (1-16) at the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TOP FUEL: 1. Austin Prock; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Antron Brown; 4. Mike Salinas; 5. Steve Torrence; 6. Brittany Force; 7. Doug Kalitta; 8. Clay Millican; 9. Jeffrey Chatterson; 10. Cameron Ferre; 11. Leah Pruett; 12. Tony Schumacher; 13. Shawn Langdon; 14. Doug Foley; 15. Josh Hart; 16. Joe Morrison. FUNNY CAR: 1. Robert Hight; 2. Tim Wilkerson; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. John Force; 5. Bob Tasca III; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Ron Capps; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. Alexis DeJoria; 10. Chad Green; 11. Paul Lee; 12. Phil Burkart; 13. Cory Lee; 14. Jim Campbell; 15. Terry Haddock. PRO STOCK: 1. Erica Enders; 2. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 3. Kyle Koretsky; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Matt Hartford; 6. Bo Butner; 7. Dallas Glenn; 8. Aaron Stanfield; 9. Cristian Cuadra; 10. Camrie Caruso; 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 12. Chris McGaha; 13. Alan Prusiensky; 14. Mason McGaha; 15. Fernando Cuadra; 16. Tanner Gray. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Joey Gladstone; 2. Angie Smith; 3. Marc Ingwersen; 4. Steve Johnson; 5. Eddie Krawiec; 6. Matt Smith; 7. Jerry Savoie; 8. Angelle Sampey; 9. Scotty Pollacheck; 10. Kelly Clontz; 11. Jianna Evaristo; 12. Karen Stoffer; 13. Chris Bostick; 14. Ron Tornow; 15. Ryan Oehler; 16. Hector Arana Jr. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Sunday's final results from the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 17th of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel -- Austin Prock, 3.755 seconds, 329.67 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.783 seconds, 326.40 mph. Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.937, 328.38 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, Foul - Red Light. Pro Stock -- Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.582, 209.72 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.601, 209.56. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.835, 196.93 def. Angie Smith, EBR, Foul - Red Light. Top Alcohol Dragster -- Jeff Veale, 5.455, 265.12 def. Shawn Cowie, 10.517, 82.94. Top Alcohol Funny Car -- DJ Cox Jr., Chevy Camaro, 5.477, 263.77 def. Sean Bellemeur, Camaro, 5.641, 263.10. Competition Eliminator -- Ken Voight, Chevy Cobalt, 8.734, 154.69 def. Jay Schonberger, Olds Cutlas, Broke. Super Stock -- Roger Reese, Chevy Nova, 10.433, 125.69 def. Byron Worner, Chevy Camaro, 9.845, 134.82. Stock Eliminator -- Katie Sepanek, Chevy Chevelle, 11.598, 108.13 def. Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.418, 118.91. Super Comp -- Donald Bangs, Dragster, 8.927, 172.23 def. Anthony Barrett, Dragster, 8.885, 179.59. Super Gas -- Bo Butner, Chevy Corvette, 9.935, 165.05 def. Frank Volpe, Ford Mustang, 9.875, 162.57. Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Vonnie Mills, Chevy Camaro, 6.689, 200.14 def. Larry Willard, Chevy Bel Air, 7.382, 180.26. Factory Stock Showdown -- David Barton, Chevy Camaro, 7.752, 177.44 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 7.824, 175.96. Junior Dragster Shootout -- Paige Ketterer, 7.987, 81.17 def. Mason Artim, Foul - Red Light. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Final round-by-round results from the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Doug Kalitta, 3.720, 329.58 def. Leah Pruett, 4.458, 224.51; Clay Millican, 3.776, 285.11 def. Tony Schumacher, 4.882, 151.95; Brittany Force, 3.698, 337.66 def. Cameron Ferre, 4.121, 291.32; Justin Ashley, 3.732, 329.83 def. Jeffrey Chatterson, 3.865, 321.58; Mike Salinas, 4.841, 225.18 def. Joe Morrison, 15.215, 31.54; Austin Prock, 3.705, 336.15 def. Doug Foley, 6.531, 93.23; Steve Torrence, 3.740, 324.51 def. Shawn Langdon, 5.901, 131.00; Antron Brown, 3.851, 249.76 def. Josh Hart, 10.983, 73.85; QUARTERFINALS -- Salinas, 5.868, 282.42 def. Millican, 7.115, 115.65; Brown, 3.730, 323.97 def. Force, 5.389, 123.14; Prock, 3.762, 326.87 def. Torrence, 3.767, 324.36; Ashley, 3.841, 306.12 def. Kalitta, Foul - Red Light; SEMIFINALS -- Ashley, 3.739, 330.80 def. Salinas, 9.497, 83.15; Prock, 5.732, 293.47 def. Brown, 6.565, 146.54; FINAL -- Prock, 3.755, 329.67 def. Ashley, 3.783, 326.40. FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- J.R. Todd, Toyota Supra, 3.914, 330.72 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.932, 324.59; Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.878, 333.74 was unopposed; John Force, Camaro, 3.932, 287.66 def. Cory Lee, Mustang, 4.407, 287.84; Ron Capps, Supra, 3.858, 331.53 def. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.282, 243.06; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.895, 333.91 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 5.649, 125.62; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.909, 334.65 def. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.445, 207.53; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.922, 331.36 def. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.924, 330.31; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.918, 326.40 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.991, 319.45; QUARTERFINALS -- Force, 4.000, 324.59 def. Todd, 3.972, 326.95; Hight, 3.901, 332.67 def. Pedregon, 5.567, 135.46; Wilkerson, 3.918, 329.58 def. Capps, 4.420, 201.10; Hagan, 3.935, 329.67 def. Tasca III, 3.941, 330.63; SEMIFINALS -- Wilkerson, 4.621, 182.62 def. Force, 9.003, 82.09; Hight, 3.908, 331.69 def. Hagan, 4.123, 255.34; FINAL -- Hight, 3.937, 328.38 def. Wilkerson, Foul - Red Light. PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.576, 208.65 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.581, 205.63; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.569, 209.33 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.606, 207.75; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.580, 208.52 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.595, 207.98; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.572, 207.69 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.602, 207.27; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.598, 208.46 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.638, 206.73; Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.567, 208.94 def. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.663, 206.32; Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.565, 208.84 def. Fernando Cuadra, Mustang, 6.643, 205.51; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.548, 209.39 def. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.607, 206.32; QUARTERFINALS -- Anderson, 6.612, 207.21 def. Glenn, 6.668, 206.67; Koretsky, 6.602, 208.94 def. Stanfield, 7.839, 130.73; Coughlin Jr., 6.605, 209.04 def. Butner, 6.601, 208.07; Enders, 6.569, 209.39 def. Hartford, Foul - Red Light; SEMIFINALS -- Coughlin Jr., 6.601, 209.46 def. Anderson, 6.714, 188.02; Enders, 6.584, 209.43 def. Koretsky, 6.613, 208.94; FINAL -- Enders, 6.582, 209.72 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.601, 209.56. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: ROUND ONE -- Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.821, 198.52 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, Foul - Red Light; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.795, 198.44 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, Foul - Red Light; Angie Smith, 6.796, 199.52 def. Ron Tornow, 6.982, 191.95; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.836, 194.66 def. Chris Bostick, Buell, 6.911, 195.28; Marc Ingwersen, 6.893, 196.99 def. Scotty Pollacheck, 6.889, 197.36; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.785, 198.32 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.891, 195.65; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.904, 199.23 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.903, 194.16; Matt Smith, 6.761, 201.82 def. Ryan Oehler, 7.196, 178.24; QUARTERFINALS -- Ingwersen, 6.962, 194.72 def. Sampey, 6.902, 197.19; A. Smith, 6.841, 198.90 def. Krawiec, 6.815, 198.50; Johnson, 6.867, 195.05 def. Savoie, 6.892, 194.13; Gladstone, 6.815, 197.51 def. M. Smith, 6.818, 199.61; SEMIFINALS -- A. Smith, 6.849, 198.61 def. Johnson, 6.945, 194.69; Gladstone, 6.869, 196.90 def. Ingwersen, 6.927, 195.73; FINAL -- Gladstone, 6.835, 196.93 def. A. Smith, Foul - Red Light. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Point standings (top 10) following the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley, 2,170; 2. Brittany Force, 2,161; 3. Mike Salinas, 2,160; 4. Antron Brown, 2,116; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,114; 6. Austin Prock, 2,096; 7. Josh Hart, 2,083; 8. (tie) Doug Kalitta, 2,063; Leah Pruett, 2,063; 10. Shawn Langdon, 2,052. Funny Car 1. Robert Hight, 2,225; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,144; 3. Ron Capps, 2,141; 4. John Force, 2,128; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,119; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2,103; 7. J.R. Todd, 2,095; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 2,073; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2,062; 10. Jim Campbell, 2,022. Pro Stock 1. Erica Enders, 2,225; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,144; 3. Kyle Koretsky, 2,137; 4. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,135; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 2,134; 6. Dallas Glenn, 2,107; 7. Matt Hartford, 2,063; 8. Mason McGaha, 2,061; 9. Bo Butner, 2,053; 10. Camrie Caruso, 2,052. Pro Stock Motorcycle 1. Joey Gladstone, 2,193; 2. Matt Smith, 2,164; 3. Steve Johnson, 2,151; 4. Angie Smith, 2,144; 5. Angelle Sampey, 2,115; 6. Marc Ingwersen, 2,104; 7. Eddie Krawiec, 2,103; 8. Jerry Savoie, 2,089; 9. Karen Stoffer, 2,077; 10. Ryan Oehler, 2,056. -NHRA- READING, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2022) – It was a dominant start for John Force Racing to open the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as Top Fuel’s Austin Prock and Funny Car points leader Robert Hight powered to wins on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd at Maple Grove Raceway at the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up wins at the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Opening the postseason from the 12th position, Prock drove to his second career win and first of the season with his run of 3.755-seconds at 329.67 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster in the final round against points leader Justin Ashley. Prock also jumped six spots in the standings with five races remaining in 2022. His day started with round wins against Doug Foley, Steve Torrence, and Indy winner Antron Brown, outdueling Brown on a spectacular pedalfest in the semifinals. From there, he won a thrilling side-by-side race with Ashley to finish off a monumental weekend. “It’s awesome and we’re right back in the hunt of this thing,” said Prock, who became the ninth different winner in Top Fuel this year. “If you come out and win Reading, you’re right back in it. This is unbelievable and it was just one of those days where everything was going our way. I’m so proud of this team and thank you to John Force for giving me the opportunity. This was exactly what we needed. “We came into the Countdown sitting 12th, and if we wanted to play for the big trophy, we knew we had to win this weekend. Everybody kept their heads down and still believed in themselves, and that attitude is how you win a Wally. I was really proud to win four rounds; it was the first time in a long time that I've been able to do that on Sunday. It's super cool that we came out on the good side of a close race.” To reach the final round for the fifth time this season, Ashley, who took over the points lead, knocked off Jeff Chatterson, Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas. Ashley jumped past Brittany Force in the points standings on Sunday and will take a nine-point lead to Charlotte. Hight continued his spectacular season, racing to his seventh win this season and the 60th of his career, making a pass of 3.937 at 328.38 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS against Tim Wilkerson in the championship round. Hight and his team were again impressively consistent throughout eliminations, knocking off Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan to reach the final round. Wilkerson left early against Hight, who picked up a milestone victory and remains the favorite to win a fourth world championship as his points lead stretched to 81 points over Hagan. "This is exactly how we scripted it,” Hight said. “The only problem is, it's really easy to script a weekend and a lot harder to get the job done. We needed to qualify well and get bonus points every run, because at the end of the year, those bonus points can be the difference. "This is just hard to believe, what we're doing. I would have never guessed somebody would win seven Funny Car races. It's dog-eat-dog out there, so this is amazing. This is huge, to start out like this, but it's one down and five to go. We're going to have fun today and then go focus on Charlotte and try to get it done next week. If we can do that, we'll really be in a good position." Tim Wilkerson overcame a fire in the semifinal round to advance to his second final round this season and the 49th in his career. He also picked up round wins against Alexis DeJoria, defending world champ Ron Capps and John Force, who was making his 800th career start on Sunday. Enders also continued her dominant run in Pro Stock, avenging a loss to Troy Coughlin in the final round at Seattle with a stellar run of 6.582 at 209.72 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway. Just like her incredible start to the year, Enders opened the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in perfect fashion, collecting her seventh win this season and 40th in her career. Her standout Sunday included round wins against Alan Prusiensky, Matt Hartford, and Kyle Koretsky, wrapping up eliminations with her first victory at the facility. Her lead also stands at 81 points over defending world champ Greg Anderson after the first playoff race. "It was an amazing day, but really, ever since we set foot on the property it's been great,” Enders said. “Bo Butner went to No. 1, and we were No. 2, but after that, we were low every time we went down the track. This Countdown is going to be a dogfight, as it is every single year. We have to capitalize on every moment and execute perfectly from here. "This is definitely special. A goal that I wrote down on January 1st was that I wanted to win at the tracks we haven't won before, and we started off on the right foot in Pomona. We won the 900th Pro Stock race and Sonoma has been on my list every year. We got it done, then we came here to Reading and got it done as well.” Coughlin reached the final round for the fourth time this season, knocking off Cristian Cuadra, No. 1 qualifier Bo Butner and Anderson in the semifinals. Joey Gladstone jumped back into the points lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle, capping off a memorable day at the track where he grew up with a win in the final round against Angie Smith, who went red. Gladstone put together a strong run of 6.835 at 196.93 to cap off his day and pick up his third win this season, with all of them coming in the last four races for the category. After Matt Smith jumped into the points lead with his Indy win, Gladstone grabbed it back to open the Countdown to the Championship, knocking off Hector Arana Jr., Matt Smith in a pivotal second-round matchup and then Marc Ingwersen to reach the final round. His points lead now stands at 29 over M. Smith and Gladstone was sure to soak in the victory in what’s been a breakout season. "This is the playoffs, so that win is big. Matt [Smith] has been a strong force, so to be able to get a good edge is awesome,” Gladstone said. “We'll need it because he hauls butt. Everyone in this class is so tough, everybody is a contender, and any day you can beat one Smith is a good day – but two Smiths? That's a big deal. I'm proud of my team and proud of my tuner. Today is my daughter, Olivia's, birthday. It was a really special day, and how memorable is it to do this on her birthday." Smith reached her second final round this season thanks to victories against Ron Tornow, Eddie Krawiec and defending event winner Steve Johnson. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action on Sept. 23-25 with the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. *** Pa. -- Final finish order (1-16) at the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TOP FUEL: 1. Austin Prock; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Antron Brown; 4. Mike Salinas; 5. Steve Torrence; 6. Brittany Force; 7. Doug Kalitta; 8. Clay Millican; 9. Jeffrey Chatterson; 10. Cameron Ferre; 11. Leah Pruett; 12. Tony Schumacher; 13. Shawn Langdon; 14. Doug Foley; 15. Josh Hart; 16. Joe Morrison. FUNNY CAR: 1. Robert Hight; 2. Tim Wilkerson; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. John Force; 5. Bob Tasca III; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Ron Capps; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. Alexis DeJoria; 10. Chad Green; 11. Paul Lee; 12. Phil Burkart; 13. Cory Lee; 14. Jim Campbell; 15. Terry Haddock. PRO STOCK: 1. Erica Enders; 2. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 3. Kyle Koretsky; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Matt Hartford; 6. Bo Butner; 7. Dallas Glenn; 8. Aaron Stanfield; 9. Cristian Cuadra; 10. Camrie Caruso; 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 12. Chris McGaha; 13. Alan Prusiensky; 14. Mason McGaha; 15. Fernando Cuadra; 16. Tanner Gray. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Joey Gladstone; 2. Angie Smith; 3. Marc Ingwersen; 4. Steve Johnson; 5. Eddie Krawiec; 6. Matt Smith; 7. Jerry Savoie; 8. Angelle Sampey; 9. Scotty Pollacheck; 10. Kelly Clontz; 11. Jianna Evaristo; 12. Karen Stoffer; 13. Chris Bostick; 14. Ron Tornow; 15. Ryan Oehler; 16. Hector Arana Jr. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Sunday's final results from the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 17th of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel -- Austin Prock, 3.755 seconds, 329.67 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.783 seconds, 326.40 mph. Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.937, 328.38 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, Foul - Red Light. Pro Stock -- Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.582, 209.72 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.601, 209.56. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.835, 196.93 def. Angie Smith, EBR, Foul - Red Light. Top Alcohol Dragster -- Jeff Veale, 5.455, 265.12 def. Shawn Cowie, 10.517, 82.94. Top Alcohol Funny Car -- DJ Cox Jr., Chevy Camaro, 5.477, 263.77 def. Sean Bellemeur, Camaro, 5.641, 263.10. Competition Eliminator -- Ken Voight, Chevy Cobalt, 8.734, 154.69 def. Jay Schonberger, Olds Cutlas, Broke. Super Stock -- Roger Reese, Chevy Nova, 10.433, 125.69 def. Byron Worner, Chevy Camaro, 9.845, 134.82. Stock Eliminator -- Katie Sepanek, Chevy Chevelle, 11.598, 108.13 def. Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.418, 118.91. Super Comp -- Donald Bangs, Dragster, 8.927, 172.23 def. Anthony Barrett, Dragster, 8.885, 179.59. Super Gas -- Bo Butner, Chevy Corvette, 9.935, 165.05 def. Frank Volpe, Ford Mustang, 9.875, 162.57. Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Vonnie Mills, Chevy Camaro, 6.689, 200.14 def. Larry Willard, Chevy Bel Air, 7.382, 180.26. Factory Stock Showdown -- David Barton, Chevy Camaro, 7.752, 177.44 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 7.824, 175.96. Junior Dragster Shootout -- Paige Ketterer, 7.987, 81.17 def. Mason Artim, Foul - Red Light. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Final round-by-round results from the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Doug Kalitta, 3.720, 329.58 def. Leah Pruett, 4.458, 224.51; Clay Millican, 3.776, 285.11 def. Tony Schumacher, 4.882, 151.95; Brittany Force, 3.698, 337.66 def. Cameron Ferre, 4.121, 291.32; Justin Ashley, 3.732, 329.83 def. Jeffrey Chatterson, 3.865, 321.58; Mike Salinas, 4.841, 225.18 def. Joe Morrison, 15.215, 31.54; Austin Prock, 3.705, 336.15 def. Doug Foley, 6.531, 93.23; Steve Torrence, 3.740, 324.51 def. Shawn Langdon, 5.901, 131.00; Antron Brown, 3.851, 249.76 def. Josh Hart, 10.983, 73.85; QUARTERFINALS -- Salinas, 5.868, 282.42 def. Millican, 7.115, 115.65; Brown, 3.730, 323.97 def. Force, 5.389, 123.14; Prock, 3.762, 326.87 def. Torrence, 3.767, 324.36; Ashley, 3.841, 306.12 def. Kalitta, Foul - Red Light; SEMIFINALS -- Ashley, 3.739, 330.80 def. Salinas, 9.497, 83.15; Prock, 5.732, 293.47 def. Brown, 6.565, 146.54; FINAL -- Prock, 3.755, 329.67 def. Ashley, 3.783, 326.40. FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- J.R. Todd, Toyota Supra, 3.914, 330.72 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.932, 324.59; Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.878, 333.74 was unopposed; John Force, Camaro, 3.932, 287.66 def. Cory Lee, Mustang, 4.407, 287.84; Ron Capps, Supra, 3.858, 331.53 def. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.282, 243.06; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.895, 333.91 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 5.649, 125.62; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.909, 334.65 def. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.445, 207.53; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.922, 331.36 def. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.924, 330.31; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.918, 326.40 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.991, 319.45; QUARTERFINALS -- Force, 4.000, 324.59 def. Todd, 3.972, 326.95; Hight, 3.901, 332.67 def. Pedregon, 5.567, 135.46; Wilkerson, 3.918, 329.58 def. Capps, 4.420, 201.10; Hagan, 3.935, 329.67 def. Tasca III, 3.941, 330.63; SEMIFINALS -- Wilkerson, 4.621, 182.62 def. Force, 9.003, 82.09; Hight, 3.908, 331.69 def. Hagan, 4.123, 255.34; FINAL -- Hight, 3.937, 328.38 def. Wilkerson, Foul - Red Light. PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.576, 208.65 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.581, 205.63; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.569, 209.33 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.606, 207.75; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.580, 208.52 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.595, 207.98; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.572, 207.69 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.602, 207.27; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.598, 208.46 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.638, 206.73; Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.567, 208.94 def. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.663, 206.32; Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.565, 208.84 def. Fernando Cuadra, Mustang, 6.643, 205.51; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.548, 209.39 def. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.607, 206.32; QUARTERFINALS -- Anderson, 6.612, 207.21 def. Glenn, 6.668, 206.67; Koretsky, 6.602, 208.94 def. Stanfield, 7.839, 130.73; Coughlin Jr., 6.605, 209.04 def. Butner, 6.601, 208.07; Enders, 6.569, 209.39 def. Hartford, Foul - Red Light; SEMIFINALS -- Coughlin Jr., 6.601, 209.46 def. Anderson, 6.714, 188.02; Enders, 6.584, 209.43 def. Koretsky, 6.613, 208.94; FINAL -- Enders, 6.582, 209.72 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.601, 209.56. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: ROUND ONE -- Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.821, 198.52 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, Foul - Red Light; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.795, 198.44 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, Foul - Red Light; Angie Smith, 6.796, 199.52 def. Ron Tornow, 6.982, 191.95; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.836, 194.66 def. Chris Bostick, Buell, 6.911, 195.28; Marc Ingwersen, 6.893, 196.99 def. Scotty Pollacheck, 6.889, 197.36; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.785, 198.32 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.891, 195.65; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.904, 199.23 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.903, 194.16; Matt Smith, 6.761, 201.82 def. Ryan Oehler, 7.196, 178.24; QUARTERFINALS -- Ingwersen, 6.962, 194.72 def. Sampey, 6.902, 197.19; A. Smith, 6.841, 198.90 def. Krawiec, 6.815, 198.50; Johnson, 6.867, 195.05 def. Savoie, 6.892, 194.13; Gladstone, 6.815, 197.51 def. M. Smith, 6.818, 199.61; SEMIFINALS -- A. Smith, 6.849, 198.61 def. Johnson, 6.945, 194.69; Gladstone, 6.869, 196.90 def. Ingwersen, 6.927, 195.73; FINAL -- Gladstone, 6.835, 196.93 def. A. Smith, Foul - Red Light. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Point standings (top 10) following the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley, 2,170; 2. Brittany Force, 2,161; 3. Mike Salinas, 2,160; 4. Antron Brown, 2,116; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,114; 6. Austin Prock, 2,096; 7. Josh Hart, 2,083; 8. (tie) Doug Kalitta, 2,063; Leah Pruett, 2,063; 10. Shawn Langdon, 2,052. Funny Car 1. Robert Hight, 2,225; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,144; 3. Ron Capps, 2,141; 4. John Force, 2,128; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,119; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2,103; 7. J.R. Todd, 2,095; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 2,073; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2,062; 10. Jim Campbell, 2,022. Pro Stock 1. Erica Enders, 2,225; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,144; 3. Kyle Koretsky, 2,137; 4. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,135; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 2,134; 6. Dallas Glenn, 2,107; 7. Matt Hartford, 2,063; 8. Mason McGaha, 2,061; 9. Bo Butner, 2,053; 10. Camrie Caruso, 2,052. Pro Stock Motorcycle 1. Joey Gladstone, 2,193; 2. Matt Smith, 2,164; 3. Steve Johnson, 2,151; 4. Angie Smith, 2,144; 5. Angelle Sampey, 2,115; 6. Marc Ingwersen, 2,104; 7. Eddie Krawiec, 2,103; 8. Jerry Savoie, 2,089; 9. Karen Stoffer, 2,077; 10. Ryan Oehler, 2,056. -NHRA- READING, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2022) – It was a dominant start for John Force Racing to open the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as Top Fuel’s Austin Prock and Funny Car points leader Robert Hight powered to wins on Sunday in front of a capacity crowd at Maple Grove Raceway at the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals. Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also picked up wins at the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Opening the postseason from the 12th position, Prock drove to his second career win and first of the season with his run of 3.755-seconds at 329.67 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster in the final round against points leader Justin Ashley. Prock also jumped six spots in the standings with five races remaining in 2022. His day started with round wins against Doug Foley, Steve Torrence, and Indy winner Antron Brown, outdueling Brown on a spectacular pedalfest in the semifinals. From there, he won a thrilling side-by-side race with Ashley to finish off a monumental weekend. “It’s awesome and we’re right back in the hunt of this thing,” said Prock, who became the ninth different winner in Top Fuel this year. “If you come out and win Reading, you’re right back in it. This is unbelievable and it was just one of those days where everything was going our way. I’m so proud of this team and thank you to John Force for giving me the opportunity. This was exactly what we needed. “We came into the Countdown sitting 12th, and if we wanted to play for the big trophy, we knew we had to win this weekend. Everybody kept their heads down and still believed in themselves, and that attitude is how you win a Wally. I was really proud to win four rounds; it was the first time in a long time that I've been able to do that on Sunday. It's super cool that we came out on the good side of a close race.” To reach the final round for the fifth time this season, Ashley, who took over the points lead, knocked off Jeff Chatterson, Doug Kalitta and Mike Salinas. Ashley jumped past Brittany Force in the points standings on Sunday and will take a nine-point lead to Charlotte. Hight continued his spectacular season, racing to his seventh win this season and the 60th of his career, making a pass of 3.937 at 328.38 in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS against Tim Wilkerson in the championship round. Hight and his team were again impressively consistent throughout eliminations, knocking off Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan to reach the final round. Wilkerson left early against Hight, who picked up a milestone victory and remains the favorite to win a fourth world championship as his points lead stretched to 81 points over Hagan. "This is exactly how we scripted it,” Hight said. “The only problem is, it's really easy to script a weekend and a lot harder to get the job done. We needed to qualify well and get bonus points every run, because at the end of the year, those bonus points can be the difference. "This is just hard to believe, what we're doing. I would have never guessed somebody would win seven Funny Car races. It's dog-eat-dog out there, so this is amazing. This is huge, to start out like this, but it's one down and five to go. We're going to have fun today and then go focus on Charlotte and try to get it done next week. If we can do that, we'll really be in a good position." Tim Wilkerson overcame a fire in the semifinal round to advance to his second final round this season and the 49th in his career. He also picked up round wins against Alexis DeJoria, defending world champ Ron Capps and John Force, who was making his 800th career start on Sunday. Enders also continued her dominant run in Pro Stock, avenging a loss to Troy Coughlin in the final round at Seattle with a stellar run of 6.582 at 209.72 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway. Just like her incredible start to the year, Enders opened the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in perfect fashion, collecting her seventh win this season and 40th in her career. Her standout Sunday included round wins against Alan Prusiensky, Matt Hartford, and Kyle Koretsky, wrapping up eliminations with her first victory at the facility. Her lead also stands at 81 points over defending world champ Greg Anderson after the first playoff race. "It was an amazing day, but really, ever since we set foot on the property it's been great,” Enders said. “Bo Butner went to No. 1, and we were No. 2, but after that, we were low every time we went down the track. This Countdown is going to be a dogfight, as it is every single year. We have to capitalize on every moment and execute perfectly from here. "This is definitely special. A goal that I wrote down on January 1st was that I wanted to win at the tracks we haven't won before, and we started off on the right foot in Pomona. We won the 900th Pro Stock race and Sonoma has been on my list every year. We got it done, then we came here to Reading and got it done as well.” Coughlin reached the final round for the fourth time this season, knocking off Cristian Cuadra, No. 1 qualifier Bo Butner and Anderson in the semifinals. Joey Gladstone jumped back into the points lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle, capping off a memorable day at the track where he grew up with a win in the final round against Angie Smith, who went red. Gladstone put together a strong run of 6.835 at 196.93 to cap off his day and pick up his third win this season, with all of them coming in the last four races for the category. After Matt Smith jumped into the points lead with his Indy win, Gladstone grabbed it back to open the Countdown to the Championship, knocking off Hector Arana Jr., Matt Smith in a pivotal second-round matchup and then Marc Ingwersen to reach the final round. His points lead now stands at 29 over M. Smith and Gladstone was sure to soak in the victory in what’s been a breakout season. "This is the playoffs, so that win is big. Matt [Smith] has been a strong force, so to be able to get a good edge is awesome,” Gladstone said. “We'll need it because he hauls butt. Everyone in this class is so tough, everybody is a contender, and any day you can beat one Smith is a good day – but two Smiths? That's a big deal. I'm proud of my team and proud of my tuner. Today is my daughter, Olivia's, birthday. It was a really special day, and how memorable is it to do this on her birthday." Smith reached her second final round this season thanks to victories against Ron Tornow, Eddie Krawiec and defending event winner Steve Johnson. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action on Sept. 23-25 with the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. *** Pa. -- Final finish order (1-16) at the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TOP FUEL: 1. Austin Prock; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Antron Brown; 4. Mike Salinas; 5. Steve Torrence; 6. Brittany Force; 7. Doug Kalitta; 8. Clay Millican; 9. Jeffrey Chatterson; 10. Cameron Ferre; 11. Leah Pruett; 12. Tony Schumacher; 13. Shawn Langdon; 14. Doug Foley; 15. Josh Hart; 16. Joe Morrison. FUNNY CAR: 1. Robert Hight; 2. Tim Wilkerson; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. John Force; 5. Bob Tasca III; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Ron Capps; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. Alexis DeJoria; 10. Chad Green; 11. Paul Lee; 12. Phil Burkart; 13. Cory Lee; 14. Jim Campbell; 15. Terry Haddock. PRO STOCK: 1. Erica Enders; 2. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 3. Kyle Koretsky; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Matt Hartford; 6. Bo Butner; 7. Dallas Glenn; 8. Aaron Stanfield; 9. Cristian Cuadra; 10. Camrie Caruso; 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 12. Chris McGaha; 13. Alan Prusiensky; 14. Mason McGaha; 15. Fernando Cuadra; 16. Tanner Gray. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Joey Gladstone; 2. Angie Smith; 3. Marc Ingwersen; 4. Steve Johnson; 5. Eddie Krawiec; 6. Matt Smith; 7. Jerry Savoie; 8. Angelle Sampey; 9. Scotty Pollacheck; 10. Kelly Clontz; 11. Jianna Evaristo; 12. Karen Stoffer; 13. Chris Bostick; 14. Ron Tornow; 15. Ryan Oehler; 16. Hector Arana Jr. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Sunday's final results from the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 17th of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel -- Austin Prock, 3.755 seconds, 329.67 mph def. Justin Ashley, 3.783 seconds, 326.40 mph. Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.937, 328.38 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, Foul - Red Light. Pro Stock -- Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.582, 209.72 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.601, 209.56. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.835, 196.93 def. Angie Smith, EBR, Foul - Red Light. Top Alcohol Dragster -- Jeff Veale, 5.455, 265.12 def. Shawn Cowie, 10.517, 82.94. Top Alcohol Funny Car -- DJ Cox Jr., Chevy Camaro, 5.477, 263.77 def. Sean Bellemeur, Camaro, 5.641, 263.10. Competition Eliminator -- Ken Voight, Chevy Cobalt, 8.734, 154.69 def. Jay Schonberger, Olds Cutlas, Broke. Super Stock -- Roger Reese, Chevy Nova, 10.433, 125.69 def. Byron Worner, Chevy Camaro, 9.845, 134.82. Stock Eliminator -- Katie Sepanek, Chevy Chevelle, 11.598, 108.13 def. Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.418, 118.91. Super Comp -- Donald Bangs, Dragster, 8.927, 172.23 def. Anthony Barrett, Dragster, 8.885, 179.59. Super Gas -- Bo Butner, Chevy Corvette, 9.935, 165.05 def. Frank Volpe, Ford Mustang, 9.875, 162.57. Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Vonnie Mills, Chevy Camaro, 6.689, 200.14 def. Larry Willard, Chevy Bel Air, 7.382, 180.26. Factory Stock Showdown -- David Barton, Chevy Camaro, 7.752, 177.44 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 7.824, 175.96. Junior Dragster Shootout -- Paige Ketterer, 7.987, 81.17 def. Mason Artim, Foul - Red Light. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Final round-by-round results from the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Doug Kalitta, 3.720, 329.58 def. Leah Pruett, 4.458, 224.51; Clay Millican, 3.776, 285.11 def. Tony Schumacher, 4.882, 151.95; Brittany Force, 3.698, 337.66 def. Cameron Ferre, 4.121, 291.32; Justin Ashley, 3.732, 329.83 def. Jeffrey Chatterson, 3.865, 321.58; Mike Salinas, 4.841, 225.18 def. Joe Morrison, 15.215, 31.54; Austin Prock, 3.705, 336.15 def. Doug Foley, 6.531, 93.23; Steve Torrence, 3.740, 324.51 def. Shawn Langdon, 5.901, 131.00; Antron Brown, 3.851, 249.76 def. Josh Hart, 10.983, 73.85; QUARTERFINALS -- Salinas, 5.868, 282.42 def. Millican, 7.115, 115.65; Brown, 3.730, 323.97 def. Force, 5.389, 123.14; Prock, 3.762, 326.87 def. Torrence, 3.767, 324.36; Ashley, 3.841, 306.12 def. Kalitta, Foul - Red Light; SEMIFINALS -- Ashley, 3.739, 330.80 def. Salinas, 9.497, 83.15; Prock, 5.732, 293.47 def. Brown, 6.565, 146.54; FINAL -- Prock, 3.755, 329.67 def. Ashley, 3.783, 326.40. FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- J.R. Todd, Toyota Supra, 3.914, 330.72 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.932, 324.59; Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.878, 333.74 was unopposed; John Force, Camaro, 3.932, 287.66 def. Cory Lee, Mustang, 4.407, 287.84; Ron Capps, Supra, 3.858, 331.53 def. Phil Burkart, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.282, 243.06; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.895, 333.91 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 5.649, 125.62; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.909, 334.65 def. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.445, 207.53; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.922, 331.36 def. Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.924, 330.31; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.918, 326.40 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.991, 319.45; QUARTERFINALS -- Force, 4.000, 324.59 def. Todd, 3.972, 326.95; Hight, 3.901, 332.67 def. Pedregon, 5.567, 135.46; Wilkerson, 3.918, 329.58 def. Capps, 4.420, 201.10; Hagan, 3.935, 329.67 def. Tasca III, 3.941, 330.63; SEMIFINALS -- Wilkerson, 4.621, 182.62 def. Force, 9.003, 82.09; Hight, 3.908, 331.69 def. Hagan, 4.123, 255.34; FINAL -- Hight, 3.937, 328.38 def. Wilkerson, Foul - Red Light. PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.576, 208.65 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.581, 205.63; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.569, 209.33 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.606, 207.75; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.580, 208.52 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.595, 207.98; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.572, 207.69 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.602, 207.27; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.598, 208.46 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.638, 206.73; Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.567, 208.94 def. Tanner Gray, Camaro, 6.663, 206.32; Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.565, 208.84 def. Fernando Cuadra, Mustang, 6.643, 205.51; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.548, 209.39 def. Alan Prusiensky, Dodge Dart, 6.607, 206.32; QUARTERFINALS -- Anderson, 6.612, 207.21 def. Glenn, 6.668, 206.67; Koretsky, 6.602, 208.94 def. Stanfield, 7.839, 130.73; Coughlin Jr., 6.605, 209.04 def. Butner, 6.601, 208.07; Enders, 6.569, 209.39 def. Hartford, Foul - Red Light; SEMIFINALS -- Coughlin Jr., 6.601, 209.46 def. Anderson, 6.714, 188.02; Enders, 6.584, 209.43 def. Koretsky, 6.613, 208.94; FINAL -- Enders, 6.582, 209.72 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.601, 209.56. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: ROUND ONE -- Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.821, 198.52 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, Foul - Red Light; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.795, 198.44 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, Foul - Red Light; Angie Smith, 6.796, 199.52 def. Ron Tornow, 6.982, 191.95; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.836, 194.66 def. Chris Bostick, Buell, 6.911, 195.28; Marc Ingwersen, 6.893, 196.99 def. Scotty Pollacheck, 6.889, 197.36; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.785, 198.32 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.891, 195.65; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.904, 199.23 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.903, 194.16; Matt Smith, 6.761, 201.82 def. Ryan Oehler, 7.196, 178.24; QUARTERFINALS -- Ingwersen, 6.962, 194.72 def. Sampey, 6.902, 197.19; A. Smith, 6.841, 198.90 def. Krawiec, 6.815, 198.50; Johnson, 6.867, 195.05 def. Savoie, 6.892, 194.13; Gladstone, 6.815, 197.51 def. M. Smith, 6.818, 199.61; SEMIFINALS -- A. Smith, 6.849, 198.61 def. Johnson, 6.945, 194.69; Gladstone, 6.869, 196.90 def. Ingwersen, 6.927, 195.73; FINAL -- Gladstone, 6.835, 196.93 def. A. Smith, Foul - Red Light. MOHNTON, Pa. -- Point standings (top 10) following the 37th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 17th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley, 2,170; 2. Brittany Force, 2,161; 3. Mike Salinas, 2,160; 4. Antron Brown, 2,116; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,114; 6. Austin Prock, 2,096; 7. Josh Hart, 2,083; 8. (tie) Doug Kalitta, 2,063; Leah Pruett, 2,063; 10. Shawn Langdon, 2,052. Funny Car 1. Robert Hight, 2,225; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,144; 3. Ron Capps, 2,141; 4. John Force, 2,128; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,119; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2,103; 7. J.R. Todd, 2,095; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 2,073; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2,062; 10. Jim Campbell, 2,022. Pro Stock 1. Erica Enders, 2,225; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,144; 3. Kyle Koretsky, 2,137; 4. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,135; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 2,134; 6. Dallas Glenn, 2,107; 7. Matt Hartford, 2,063; 8. Mason McGaha, 2,061; 9. Bo Butner, 2,053; 10. Camrie Caruso, 2,052. Pro Stock Motorcycle 1. Joey Gladstone, 2,193; 2. Matt Smith, 2,164; 3. Steve Johnson, 2,151; 4. Angie Smith, 2,144; 5. Angelle Sampey, 2,115; 6. Marc Ingwersen, 2,104; 7. Eddie Krawiec, 2,103; 8. Jerry Savoie, 2,089; 9. Karen Stoffer, 2,077; 10. Ryan Oehler, 2,056. -NHRA-

By Adam Carabine

September 15, 2022 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service Ty Majeski downplayed his final run in Thursday night’s UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway as “just another restart.” In reality, it was the most important moment-to-date in Majeski’s hardscrabble career. Streaking away from Zane Smith after a restart with 12 laps left in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ Round of 8 Playoff race, Majeski scored the first NASCAR national series victory of his career and claimed the first berth in the Nov. 4 Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway. “Awesome job! Thank you!” Majeski radioed to crew chief Joe Shear Jr. as he crossed the finish line. “Let’s polish this baby up, and let’s take this thing to Phoenix.” To preserve the lightning-fast No. 66 ThorSport Racing Toyota that had carried him to victory, the short-track ace eschewed the customary burnout on the frontstretch, eliciting some good-natured boos from fans in the grandstands. But nothing could dampen Majeski’s mood. “Man, this is unbelievable,” said the 28-year-old from Seymour, Wisconsin. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this… We came guns blazing for this race, took our best truck. Joe was aggressive on pit strategy—got us out front, and we were able to get it done. “This is so cool. My career’s been so up-and-down… This is just damn cool—I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” Smith started from the rear of the field because of transmission issues that prevented him from qualifying. But after pitting under the first caution for Josh Reaume’s accident on Lap 37, Smith finished the race without returning to pit road. The strategy put Smith in the lead for 39 laps, but Majeski had the superior truck and made the winning pass during a restart on Lap 156. He kept Smith at bay on two late restarts to seal the victory. “A good salvage of the night,” said Smith, who crossed the finish line 1.152 seconds behind the race winner. “I tried matching the 66 (on the restarts). I did the first time, but on the second time, he just got me. He was ultimately just better than us. Still, a never-give-up kind of night. That’s what it takes to get to the final four.” Non-Playoff driver Parker Kligerman ran third, followed by Grant Enfinger, who fell below the cut line for the Championship 4 with two races left in the Round of 8. Matt Crafton was fifth, followed by pole winner Derek Kraus in a battle of non-Playoff drivers. Chandler Smith led a race-high 89 laps and won the first two stages but was forced to pit for tires and fuel after the second stage and lost track position. He finished ninth behind fellow Playoff drivers Stewart Friesen and Christian Eckes. Chandler Smith heads for the second Round of 8 race, Oct. 1 at Talladega Superspeedway, 24 points above the cut line. Playoff driver John Hunter Nemechek slammed the outside wall during practice earlier in the day and started from the rear in a backup truck. He finished 12th. Reaume, who spun sideways into the path of sliding Rajah Caruth’s Chevrolet on Lap 37, climbed from his truck after the driver’s-side impact but was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race - 25th Annual UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee Thursday, September 15, 2022 1. (6) Ty Majeski (P), Toyota, 200. 2. (35) Zane Smith (P), Ford, 200. 3. (28) Parker Kligerman, Toyota, 200. 4. (4) Grant Enfinger (P), Chevrolet, 200. 5. (16) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 200. 6. (1) Derek Kraus, Chevrolet, 200. 7. (3) Stewart Friesen (P), Toyota, 200. 8. (7) Christian Eckes (P), Toyota, 200. 9. (2) Chandler Smith (P), Toyota, 200. 10. (5) Corey Heim # (P), Toyota, 200. 11. (12) Tyler Ankrum, Toyota, 200. 12. (36) John Hunter Nemechek (P), Toyota, 200. 13. (27) Kaden Honeycutt, Toyota, 200. 14. (18) Hailie Deegan, Ford, 200. 15. (8) Bayley Currey(i), Chevrolet, 200. 16. (17) Taylor Gray (P), Ford, 200. 17. (26) Tanner Gray, Ford, 200. 18. (11) Ben Rhodes (P), Toyota, 200. 19. (10) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 200. 20. (32) Austin Wayne Self, Chevrolet, 200. 21. (20) Jack Wood #, Chevrolet, 200. 22. (15) Jake Garcia, Chevrolet, 200. 23. (23) Lawless Alan #, Chevrolet, 200. 24. (19) Colby Howard, Chevrolet, 200. 25. (25) Jesse Little, Chevrolet, 200. 26. (29) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 200. 27. (9) Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 199. 28. (22) Blaine Perkins #, Chevrolet, 197. 29. (31) Leland Honeyman Jr., Chevrolet, 195. 30. (24) Chase Purdy, Toyota, 193. 31. (21) Connor Mosack, Chevrolet, 192. 32. (13) Dean Thompson #, Chevrolet, Accident, 178. 33. (30) Chris Hacker, Chevrolet, Suspension, 165. 34. (14) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, Accident, 44. 35. (34) Josh Reaume, Toyota, Accident, 34. 36. (33) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, Accident, 25. Average Speed of Race Winner: 74.705 mph. Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 25 Mins, 37 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.152 Seconds. Caution Flags: 6 for 49 laps. Lead Changes: 3 among 4 drivers. Lap Leaders: D. Kraus 1-27;C. Smith (P) 28-116;Z. Smith (P) 117-155;T. Majeski (P) 156-200. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Chandler Smith (P) 1 time for 89 laps; Ty Majeski (P) 1 time for 45 laps; Zane Smith (P) 1 time for 39 laps; Derek Kraus 1 time for 27 laps. Stage #1 Top Ten: 18,52,19,25,23,66,98,51,44,88 Stage #2 Top Ten: 18,52,98,99,17,61,15,4,30,38 --30--

September 16, 2022 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn.— Make it three in a row for Noah Gragson, who has built enormous momentum as the NASCAR Xfinity Series moves into its seven-race Playoff. On 90-lap older tires, Gragson held off Brandon Jones, the driver who will take his seat in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet next year, in a 20-lap green-flag run to the finish of Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The victory was Gragson’s third straight in the series, his sixth of the season and the 11th of his career. The race also settled the series Playoff picture. Despite power-steering issues, Daniel Hemric clinched one of the two available spots in the 12-driver Playoff field with a 20th-place finish. Ryan Sieg claimed the final berth, finishing 10th—his first top-10 run in 16 Bristol starts—after brake issues sent Landon Cassill to the garage for 112 laps and relegated him to 35th. AJ Allmendinger clinched his second straight Regular Season Championship with a sixth-place result. When J.J. Yeley slammed the inside wall after slight contact from race leader Justin Allgaier, on Lap 271, Gragson and crew chief Luke Lambert opted to stay on the track while all the other lead-lap cars pitted for fresh tires. After the restart on Lap 281, Gragson pulled out to a one-second lead before Jones began to close the gap on new rubber. Jones got to Gragson’s bumper but couldn’t find a way past the No. 9 Chevrolet. Gragson crossed the finish line .145 seconds ahead of Jones’ No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “That last caution came out, and I knew if I could ring the top, it was going to be hard for them to get there,” said Gragson, who will graduate to a full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride with Petty GMS in 2023. “I appreciate Brandon Jones racing us clean. He gave us the bumper with two (laps) to go, and I was hanging on, scrubbing the fence. “We won here in Bristol in 2020 and there were no fans here (because of the coronavirus pandemic)… What a great opportunity to race here in front of fans and have the opportunity to win the race. Our car was fast all day. We got to the top and we were rolling. I had a blast.” A rueful Jones provided a post-mortem of the event on pit road. “This one hurt the most because this was our race to lose, I thought,” Jones said. “Fresher tires certainly paid off there at the end. I just caught him (Gragson) at the wrong time every time.” Gragson’s stiffest competition—his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier—wasn’t at the front of the field for the ending. Allgaier led the procession of lead-lap cars to pit road when Gragson stayed out, but a speeding penalty sent him to the rear of the field for the final restart. “I know what happened; I didn’t really think I was speeding, but obviously I was,” said Allgaier, who has led 791 laps in his last seven Bristol races without winning. “I just hate it for everybody. It was cool for (Noah) to get the win. I cannot believe that they were able to stay out there and still run the speed they were. “I love to hate this place. I’m close to 1,000 career laps led here (actually 1,004) and only one win, and that was over 10 years ago (2010). So, I’ve just got to do a better job next time.” Allgaier led a race-high 148 laps on Friday, to 89 for Ty Gibbs, 34 for Sheldon Creed and 25 for Gragson. Gragson also was instrumental in changing the complexion of the race in the middle of Stage 2. Pole winner Gibbs had won the first stage wire-to-wire, but on Lap 129, while Gibbs and Creed were battling for the lead, contact from Gragson’s Chevrolet sent Gibbs’ Toyota into Creed’s Camaro. Both Gibbs and Creed crashed hard into the outside wall and were eliminated from the race. Austin Hill finished third, followed by Sam Mayer and Riley Herbst. Allmendinger, Josh Berry, Stefan Parsons, Allgaier and Sieg completed the top 10. NASCAR Xfinity Series Race - 41st Annual Food City 300 Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee Friday, September 16, 2022 1. (9) Noah Gragson, Chevrolet, 300. 2. (11) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 300. 3. (15) Austin Hill #, Chevrolet, 300. 4. (5) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 300. 5. (12) Riley Herbst, Ford, 300. 6. (4) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 300. 7. (2) Josh Berry, Chevrolet, 300. 8. (14) Stefan Parsons(i), Chevrolet, 300. 9. (3) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 300. 10. (10) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 300. 11. (20) Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 300. 12. (21) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Toyota, 300. 13. (18) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 300. 14. (6) Sammy Smith, Toyota, 299. 15. (7) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 299. 16. (19) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 299. 17. (33) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 299. 18. (31) Sage Karam, Chevrolet, 299. 19. (28) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 299. 20. (8) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 298. 21. (30) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 298. 22. (36) Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 298. 23. (37) Joe Graf Jr, Ford, 298. 24. (35) CJ McLaughlin, Ford, 297. 25. (34) Kris Wright(i), Chevrolet, 297. 26. (25) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 297. 27. (23) Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 294. 28. (32) Ronnie Bassett Jr, Chevrolet, 294. 29. (24) Nicholas Sanchez, Chevrolet, 294. 30. (27) David Starr, Ford, 293. 31. (38) Bobby McCarty, Chevrolet, 288. 32. (17) Mason Massey, Chevrolet, Oil Line, 271. 33. (26) JJ Yeley, Toyota, Accident, 267. 34. (29) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Brakes, 220. 35. (16) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 188. 36. (1) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, Accident, 129. 37. (22) Sheldon Creed #, Chevrolet, Accident, 128. 38. (13) Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, Accident, 45. Average Speed of Race Winner: 80.996 mph. Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 58 Mins, 27 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.145 Seconds. Caution Flags: 8 for 58 laps. Lead Changes: 6 among 5 drivers. Lap Leaders: T. Gibbs 1-89;J. Allgaier 90;S. Creed # 91-124;J. Allgaier 125-175;B. Currey 176-179;J. Allgaier 180-275;N. Gragson 276-300. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Justin Allgaier 3 times for 148 laps; Ty Gibbs 1 time for 89 laps; Sheldon Creed # 1 time for 34 laps; Noah Gragson 1 time for 25 laps; Bayley Currey 1 time for 4 laps. Stage #1 Top Ten: 54,7,9,1,16,8,27,11,10,39 Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,9,16,19,98,21,27,11,1,18 --30--

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service BRISTOL, Tenn. – With Chase Elliott pursuing him relentlessly for the final 50 laps, Chris Buescher held on to win Saturday's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motors Speedway, becoming the 19th different NASCAR Cup Series winner this season. After the event that set the field for the Round of 12 in the series Playoffs—and eliminated superstars Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick from the postseason—a dozen drivers were breathing sighs of relief and hoping fervently for a return to stock car sanity in the next round. A two-tire pit stop under caution on Lap 438 of 500 put Reddick in the lead for a restart on Lap 444. The driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford led the final 61 laps and a race-high 169 overall to give the RFK organization its first victory since Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the checkered flag at Daytona on July 1, 2017 at Daytona. The victory was the first for RFK Racing since Brad Keselowski joined the organization as an owner/driver after the 2021 season. Buescher was the third straight non-Playoff driver to win a race in the Round of 16, an unprecedented occurrence. “It’s so special here,” said Buescher, whose only other Cup win came in a rain-shortened race at Pocono in 2016. “I love this racetrack. I love the fans. I love every time we come here. It’s so special. It’s pretty awesome.” Buescher said he wasn’t worried about starting the final run on two fresh tires, even though everyone chasing had four. “I wasn’t a bit,” he asserted. “It was up to me at that point. I made it work, and we had a really fast (car). We knew we had a really fast race car in practice and didn’t quite get the job done in qualifying (20th)—but what a race car. “I don’t know what all to say right now. I’m out of breath. This place will wear you flat-out, and I love that about it. It’s just a special night.” Elliott was .458 seconds behind Buescher at the finish. William Byron came home third, followed by Christopher Bell, who posted his third straight top-five finish in the Round of 16. Kyle Larson was fifth and Ross Chastain sixth, as all five drivers immediately behind Buescher in the finishing order advanced to the Round of 12. Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman also clinched spots in the next round, though all had serious issues during the race. Elliott got closer to Buescher on the final two laps but ran out of time. “I felt like we were gaining, but it was… I wasn't close enough to do anything with him,” Elliott said. “But I appreciate the effort. We had a long day yesterday. Was able to battle back from a bad qualifying effort (23rd) to get a top two, so proud of that. “Glad to be moving on (in the Playoff) and looking forward to some more opportunities here these coming weeks.” Needing a victory to advance to the next round, Harvick ran consistently in the top five after staying out at the end of Stage 1 to gain track position. But Harvick’s chances evaporated in the pits on Lap 438 when his crew failed to secure the left-rear on his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. As the tire rolled away, Harvick had to back up into his pit stall. The lost time left him 10th for the final restart on Lap 444. That’s where he finished, exiting the Playoffs in 16th place. “It was pretty tough,” Harvick said. “We pitted in front of the 17 (Buescher), so just kind of the way the year has gone. Just went from having a chance to lead the parade to being a part of the parade. Just difficult to pass.” Busch’s ouster was a touch-and-go affair. Both he and Tyler Reddick fell two points short after Austin Cindric, who finished seven laps down in 20th place but gained enough positions by passing back markers to advance. Busch had accumulated 14 points in the first two stages and was running above the cut line when his engine blew on Lap 270—Busch’s second such failure in the three Playoff races. “It just goes with our year,” Busch said. “I don’t even know what to say. I’m flabbergasted. I just feel so bad for my guys. They don’t deserve to be in this spot. They work too hard. We are too good of a group to be this low—down on the bottom, fighting for our lives just to make it through. Two engine failures in three weeks, that will do it to you.” Reddick and Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon both failed to make the Round of 12 after both drivers’ Chevrolets were damaged in a 12-car pileup on the backstretch on Lap 277. Reddick finished 25th and Dillon 31st. Keselowski led 109 laps and appeared to have race-winning chances until his right-front tire went flat on Lap 414 while he was leading. “We had two cars that were really good today and one that was unlucky and one that executed, and everything came the right way for them,” Keselowski said. NASCAR Cup Series Race - 62nd Annual Bass Pro Shops Night Race Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, Tennessee Saturday, September 17, 2022 1. (20) Chris Buescher, Ford, 500. 2. (23) Chase Elliott (P), Chevrolet, 500. 3. (16) William Byron (P), Chevrolet, 500. 4. (8) Christopher Bell (P), Toyota, 500. 5. (5) Kyle Larson (P), Chevrolet, 500. 6. (12) Ross Chastain (P), Chevrolet, 500. 7. (13) AJ Allmendinger(i), Chevrolet, 500. 8. (11) Cole Custer, Ford, 500. 9. (4) Denny Hamlin (P), Toyota, 500. 10. (7) Kevin Harvick (P), Ford, 500. 11. (18) Michael McDowell, Ford, 500. 12. (19) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 500. 13. (10) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 499. 14. (2) Chase Briscoe (P), Ford, 498. 15. (31) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 497. 16. (27) Harrison Burton #, Ford, 497. 17. (32) Cody Ware, Ford, 497. 18. (30) Todd Gilliland #, Ford, 496. 19. (29) Daniel Suarez (P), Chevrolet, 494. 20. (9) Austin Cindric # (P), Ford, 493. 21. (24) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 492. 22. (35) Landon Cassill(i), Chevrolet, 492. 23. (36) JJ Yeley(i), Ford, 491. 24. (33) BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 491. 25. (17) Tyler Reddick (P), Chevrolet, 469. 26. (34) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Steering, 457. 27. (15) Joey Logano (P), Ford, Suspension, 437. 28. (1) Aric Almirola, Ford, Steering, 418. 29. (14) Bubba Wallace (P), Toyota, 408. 30. (6) Ryan Blaney (P), Ford, 338. 31. (28) Austin Dillon (P), Chevrolet, DVP, 279. 32. (3) Alex Bowman (P), Chevrolet, Accident, 277. 33. (26) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 276. 34. (21) Kyle Busch (P), Toyota, Engine, 269. 35. (25) Ty Gibbs(i), Toyota, Steering, 265. 36. (22) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Steering, 198. Average Speed of Race Winner: 88.286 mph. Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 1 Mins, 7 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.458 Seconds. Caution Flags: 11 for 80 laps. Lead Changes: 12 among 6 drivers. Lap Leaders: A. Almirola 1-35;R. Blaney (P) 36-44;A. Almirola 45;B. Keselowski 46-128;C. Bell (P) 129;C. Buescher 130-237;C. Bell (P) 238-356;K. Larson (P) 357-387;B. Keselowski 388-413;C. Bell (P) 414-435;K. Larson (P) 436-438;C. Bell (P) 439;C. Buescher 440-500. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Chris Buescher 2 times for 169 laps; Christopher Bell (P) 4 times for 143 laps; Brad Keselowski 2 times for 109 laps; Aric Almirola 2 times for 36 laps; Kyle Larson (P) 2 times for 34 laps; Ryan Blaney (P) 1 time for 9 laps. Stage #1 Top Ten: 6,20,18,14,5,48,17,8,24,19 Stage #2 Top Ten: 20,1,14,9,18,48,24,3,5,4

By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service Closely bunched NASCAR Cup Playoff field fights for survival at Bristol This is it. This is the last chance for NASCAR Cup Series drivers to stake a claim on one of the 11 available spots in the Playoffs’ Round of 12. With non-Playoff drivers Erik Jones and Bubba Wallace having won the postseason opener at Darlington and the second Round of 16 race at Kansas, respectively, only one driver has clinched a berth in the Round of 12 entering Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The one driver who won’t have to worry about falling below the cut line is Christopher Bell, who finished fifth at Darlington and clinched a Round of 12 spot with a third-place run at Kansas. The other 15 drivers—no matter how large a margin above the cut line they might enjoy—will come to the .533-mile with varying degrees of anxiety. That’s no idle assertion. Thanks to early accidents, Playoff drivers have finished last at both Darlington (Chase Elliott) and Kansas (Kevin Harvick). In the latter race, in fact, Playoff drivers occupied the bottom two positions, with pole winner Tyler Reddick the second retiree behind Harvick. For Harvick, at least, there’s clarity. Last in the standings and 35 points behind Reddick and Austin Cindric in 11th place, Harvick realistically must win on Saturday night to advance. Harvick, who has a victory and a second-place finish at Bristol in his last three starts there, is at his best with his back to the wall. In 2014, the first year of the current elimination format, the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford won at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4 Round and followed that with a victory at Phoenix to claim the title. That history gives Harvick a valuable arrow in his quiver. “Experience,” said Harvick, who has three career wins at Thunder Valley. “I think experience goes a long way as you go down this road. “Obviously, it’s different than the regular season because there’s so much on the line, but our guys have been through that battle. Plus, we don’t have anything to lose.” Contrast Harvick’s situation with that of Kyle Busch, who trails Reddick and Cindric by two points. An eight-time winner at Bristol, Busch likely will advance with a strong finish at arguably his best track. Busch also won on dirt at the World’s Fastest Half Mile in April. “That was a completely different kind of race on the dirt surface, but never hurts to get a win there no matter what the surface looks like,” said Busch, who grabbed headlines on Tuesday with the announcement he will move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Richard Childress Racing next year. “There are a lot of unknowns going into this race, since there hasn’t been a race with the Next Gen car on the concrete surface, so a lot of unknowns, for sure. It’s always a great racetrack to circle on the calendar and know it’s a time when we can shine.” Two Playoff spots up for grabs in NASCAR Xfinity regular season finale NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will get their last chance to qualify for a seven-race Playoff in Friday night’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ten drivers already have advanced to the postseason. Sam Mayer and Riley Herbst clinched spots on points last Saturday at Kansas Speedway. After winning an appeal of the L2 penalty imposed after his Daytona victory, Jeremy Clements is back in the Playoffs with a guaranteed spot. That leaves defending series champion Daniel Hemric, his Kaulig Racing teammate Landon Cassill, Ryan Sieg and Sheldon Creed in the thick of the battle for the final two berths. Hemric is in the best position, 37 points above the cut line. Cassill is 12th in the standings, 19 points ahead of Sieg in 13th. Creed is 32 points behind Cassill and in need of help to claim a Playoff spot. Of course, any of those four drivers could earn a spot with a victory, as could Brandon Brown, Anthony Alfredo, Myatt Snider or Jeb Burton. At the top of the standings, defending race winner AJ Allmendinger can clinch the Regular Season Championship—and the 15 Playoff points that go with it—by scoring 23 points or more on Friday, the equivalent of a 14th-place finish if he scores no stage points. But Allmendinger knows there are no guarantees. “With Bristol, you just never know,” he said. “It’s all situational. You could easily get caught up in someone else’s mess early in the race, and you are out of it. Or it could come down to another finish like we had last year where we are all battling in the final laps. “My team knows that, if we’re in that situation racing for a win at Bristol and a Regular Season Championship, I’m going to do whatever it takes and put it all on the line to get the job done.” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers start Round of 8 competition at Bristol Based on statistics alone, competition should be fierce when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series begins competition in the Round of 8 of its Playoff with Thursday night’s UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics (9 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Last Friday’s winner at Kansas Speedway, John Hunter Nemechek, has recorded four third-place finishes in seven Truck Series starts at Bristol. Grant Enfinger, winner of the Round of 10 Playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, has finished in the top 10 in each of his five starts at the .533-mile high-banked short track. In his last race there (2021), Enfinger was the runner-up. Then there’s Chandler Smith, who exhibited an immediate affinity for the high-speed venue. A winner at Richmond in the Round of 10, Smith boasts top-five results in each of his three Bristol races. And by the way, he’s the defending winner of Thursday night’s race. “It definitely helps having a good notebook and knowing what works good there,” Smith said. “Not only did I win last year, but in 2019 I nearly won. So, it’s a track I’m really comfortable with and looking forward to hopefully starting off the first race in the Round of 8 on a strong note. “(That’s) extremely important, especially with having Talladega as the middle race of the round. At the end of the day, we’re just trying to make it to (the Championship 4 race at) Phoenix, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes.” NASCAR Cup Series Next Race: Bass Pro Shops Night Race The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway The Date: Saturday, September 17 The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET The Purse: $8,338,394 TV: USA, 6:30 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 266.5 miles (500 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 125), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 500) NASCAR Xfinity Series Next Race: Food City 300 The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway The Date: Friday, September 16 The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET The Purse: $1,567,510 TV: USA, 7 p.m. ET Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 159.9 miles (300 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 300) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Next Race: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway The Date: Thursday, September 15 The Time: 9 p.m. ET The Purse: $703,945 TV: FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90) Distance: 106.6 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 55), Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 110), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

BRISTOL, Tenn. (September 15, 2022) – Camry driver Sammy Smith won two ARCA Menards Series titles with a win at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday evening. Smith claimed his second consecutive ARCA East title, while also walking away with his first Sioux Chief Showdown championship as well. The 18-year-old has delivered consistent race results across all ARCA Menards Series racing action this season. In ARCA East competition, Smith won five of the seven events, with top-five finishes in the balance. In the 10-race Sioux Chief Showdown title chase, the Toyota development driver has scored top-five finishes in every start, with victories at Berlin Raceway and Elko Speedway in June, the Milwaukee Mile in August and Bristol Motor Speedway this evening. “Sammy has consistently run up front since first competing in ARCA competition just one season ago,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports and Assets, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “We are happy to help him celebrate these accomplishments and look forward watching him continue to grow as part of the Toyota Racing driver development program.” Along with his ARCA success this season, Smith also made his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as the Iowa-native has run several events for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR). He recently earned his first stage win and top-five finish at Watkins Glen International in August. Smith drives a Toyota Camry for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in ARCA competition. This is the first two ARCA championships for KBM. Smith is the sixth Toyota driver to win the ARCA East title, and second to win two consecutive championships. He joins a list that includes Ryan Truex (2009 and 2010), Max Gresham (2011), Kyle Larson (2012), Harrison Burton (2017) and Tyler Ankrum (2018).

NHRA Wire Services INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 5, 2022) – NHRA officials today announced the details of the full 2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule, which will include a pair of Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout races in Gainesville and Indianapolis, as well as a return to the fan-favorite Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. NHRA previously released the dates for the first four events of the 2023 season, including the must-see opener, the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on March 9-12. The series also makes a highly-anticipated return back to Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago for the Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance on May 19-21. Tickets for the Chicago race will go on sale in October. Considered one of the top facilities on the tour, the track will host its first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race since 2019, one of many thrilling highlights for the upcoming season. “We are thrilled to release our full schedule for the 2023 season, which will bring incredible racing action to tracks all across the country,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “We’re proud of everyone involved who worked so hard to get Route 66 Raceway back on our schedule. Starting with what will be an incredible kickoff in Gainesville, there are lot of exciting moments to look forward to next year. We appreciate our fans, race teams, track partners and sponsors who all helped to put the 2023 plan in place.” After previously announced races in Gainesville, which will also feature the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, the final event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix on March 24-26, the 63rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Pomona Raceway on March 30-April 2 and the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 14-16 in Las Vegas, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will visit state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway for the annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte on April 28-30. NHRA then heads to Route 66 Raceway in May, leading into back-to-back races at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., and Bristol Dragway on June 2-4 and June 9-11. The annual stop to Thunder Valley will take place a week earlier in 2023, giving teams a race weekend off before the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio on June 22-25. That leads into the famed three-race NHRA Western Swing, which will also have a new look for 2023. Following the longtime trip to Bandimere Speedway in Denver for the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals on July 14-16 to kick off the Western Swing, the middle event in the intense three-race trek will now be the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle on July 21-23. After a three-year hiatus, the NHRA returned to the track in 2022. With Seattle falling as the middle race in 2023, the finale of the Western Swing, the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals will take place at scenic Sonoma Raceway on July 28-30. From there, teams will have back-to-back races at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan. for the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor and Brainerd International Raceway for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 17-20. The regular season concludes with the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Aug. 30-Sept. 4, highlighted by the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout. The high stakes six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs will kick off with three straight racing weekends, starting with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway on Sept. 14-17 and continuing at zMAX Dragway on Sept. 22-24 and then the annual event at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis on Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The intense Countdown competition finishes with the Texas NHRA FallNationals on Oct. 12-15 at Texas Motorplex, the second race of the season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 26-29 and the NHRA Finals in Pomona on Nov. 9-12, where champions will be crowned in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Fans may renew or purchase their tickets for the 2023 season at https://www.nhra.com/schedule/2023. Details on class schedules for Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, as well as specialty series like the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon and Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown will be announced soon. All races during the 2023 NHRA will be aired exclusively on FOX Sports, with select events on the FOX broadcast network. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.nhra.com. 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Season Schedule March 9-12: 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fl. The race will also include the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout. March 24-26: 38th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Phoenix March 30-April 2: 63rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, Pomona Raceway, Pomona, Calif. April 14-16: 23rd annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas April 28-30: 13th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte May 19-21: 23rd annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, Route 66 Raceway, Chicago June 2-4: 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals, New England Dragway, Epping, N.H. June 9-11: 22nd annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn. June 22-25: 17th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio July 14-16: 43rd annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, Bandimere Speedway, Denver July 21-23: 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways, Seattle July 28-30: 35th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif. Aug. 11-13: 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, Heartland Motorsports Park, Topeka, Kan. Aug. 17-20: 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn. Aug. 30-Sept. 4: 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis. The race will also include the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout. COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP Sept. 14-17: 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa. Sept. 22-24: 15th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte. Sept. 29-Oct. 1: 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis Oct. 12-15: 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas Oct. 26-29: 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Nov. 9-12: 58th annual NHRA Finals, Pomona Raceway, Pomona, Calif.

NASCAR today announced the 2023 schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. During the organization’s 75th anniversary season, NASCAR’s national series will visit an exciting mix of history-rich venues, short tracks and road courses, with the sport reaching a new level of excitement with the already-announced Chicago Street Race – a bold, first-of-its-kind addition in a globally renowned city. “As we prepare to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, we are committed to delivering a schedule that acknowledges the deep history and tradition of our sport while establishing a bold future that brings the best racing in the world to new markets and new fans,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Development and Strategy. “The 2023 schedules are a product of continued collaboration across our industry and partners. We are incredibly proud of what our sport will have to offer fans next season, and excited to celebrate this milestone season with the most diverse compilation of tracks in motorsports.” The 2023 Cup season will get underway with “round two” of the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, which will take place in East Coast primetime on Sunday, Feb. 5 on FOX. Two weeks later, on Sunday, Feb. 19, the 65th annual DAYTONA 500 will unfold live on FOX from Daytona International Speedway. Additional highlights to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule include: NASCAR will head west for the final race on the two-mile version of Auto Club Speedway (Sunday, Feb. 26) before visiting Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sunday, Mar. 5) and Phoenix Raceway (Sunday, Mar. 12). As previously announced, NASCAR’s annual All-Star Race (Sunday, May 21) will be hosted by North Wilkesboro Speedway – the first time the track will welcome the Cup Series since 1996. The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs will once again begin at Darlington Raceway (Sunday, Sept. 3), with the NASCAR Championship Race set for Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 5. As for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a pair of road courses join the schedule for the first time in its four-decade history, as Names Will Be Made at Sonoma Raceway (June 10) and the Chicago Street Race (July 1). Bristol Motor Speedway will host the Xfinity Series Playoffs opener (Friday, Sept. 15) and the series will culminate with its championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 4. What’s old is new for the ‘Tough Trucks’ as CRAFTSMAN returns to the series, as does a race at the historic Milwaukee Mile. Trucks will make a return to the Milwaukee Mile Speedway for the second race of the Round of 10 on Sunday, August 27. The visit will mark the first time the Trucks have returned to Brew City since 2009. In addition, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will get the festivities started on All-Star weekend when the trucks join the stars from the NASCAR Cup Series at the famed North Wilkesboro Speedway for the first time since 1996, on Saturday, May 20. The CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Playoffs will get underway on Friday, Aug. 11 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and like the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, will crown a champion at Phoenix Raceway (Friday, Nov. 3) for the fourth consecutive year. The FOX Sports and NBC Sports family of networks will again broadcast the 2023 NASCAR season. Networks and start times will be announced at a later date. — NASCAR WIRE SERVICE —