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STAMFORD, Conn. – June 28, 2022 – USA Network begins its run as NBC Sports’ new cable home of the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series this weekend with live race coverage from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis., this Saturday and Sunday, July 2 and 3, beginning at 2 p.m. ET each day. USA Network will be the exclusive home for 23 of the next 26 NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series races through September, visiting iconic tracks such as Atlanta Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. Including practice and qualifying, as well as the NASCAR ARCA Menards Series and Whelen Modified Tour, USA Network will present nearly 200 hours of NASCAR coverage in 2022. USA Network has been a top five cable entertainment brand for over 20 years and is widely available across cable, satellite and streaming providers, including: AT&T U-verse HD: Channel 1125 Charter Spectrum HD: Channel 101 Comcast XFINITY TV HD: Channel 823 Cox Contour HD: Channel 1028 DIRECTV HD: Channel 242 DISH Network HD: Channel 105 Verizon FiOS: Channel 550 Optimum: Channel 38 Channel listings may vary by market and could be updated by the provider to a different channel at any time. USA Network is also available via most streaming services, including: DirecTV Stream fuboTV Hulu + Live TV Sling TV (Blue package) Youtube TV Earlier this year, USA Network became the cable home of premium NBC Sports events, which, in addition to NASCAR, includes coverage of the Premier League, INDYCAR, the Olympic Games, USGA and The R&A Golf Championships, horse racing, cycling and more. As in years past, coverage airing on USA Network will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app via authentication. Following are NBC Sports’ full 2022 NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series schedules:

Press Release | Texas Motor Speedway | Kyle Busch Motorsports FORT WORTH, Texas (June 28, 2022) – Two-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch and son Brexton Busch are confirmed to participate in the inaugural C. Bell’s Micro Mania micro sprint car event Sept. 21-24 at Li’l Texas Motor Speedway. The winningest driver in Texas Motor Speedway history will put it all on the line at the newly converted 1/5-mile dirt oval in the week leading in to the NASCAR Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The elder Busch competes in micro sprint racing when he can find time between his NASCAR responsibilities as both driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports. Brexton, 7, began racing in 2020 and has racked up numerous victories in multiple types of race cars in North Carolina and multiple states, including a C-main win in the Tulsa (Okla.) Shootout this past January. “Dirt racing with Brexton the last few years has been a really cool experience for our whole family and we’re always looking for new tracks to race at alongside the NASCAR schedule,” said Kyle Busch. “When Christopher approached us about the opportunity for both of us to participate in his event that’s being held right on property at Texas, we we’re all in. Christopher is very passionate about dirt racing and I’m sure with all of the effort that he’s putting into this event alongside the folks at Texas Motor Speedway that it will be an exciting one to be a part of for both the drivers and the fans.” C. Bell’s Micro Mania begins with a full day of practice on Wednesday, Sept. 21, with qualifying races both Thursday and Friday (Sept. 22-23). Saturday evening’s schedule will consist of mains in both the Outlaw and Junior Sprint classes with the $10,000-to-win Outlaw A-main highlighting a total event purse of $50,440. Micro sprints are smaller versions of full-sized non-wing sprint cars with side-mounted 640cc motorcycle engines that can generate 140 horsepower with similar chassis and body styles to the larger versions. Competition will take place in both the Outlaw and Junior Sprint classes. The renovation of the 1/5-mile track, just outside the backstretch of the 1.5-mile asphalt oval, began immediately following the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend in late May with the removal of the asphalt. Upgrades will be a scoreboard, PA system, frontstretch wall/catch fence, caution light system along with a Lil’ Hoss screen, pit area amenities and a 3,500-seat temporary grandstand. The facility renovation taking place through the vision of NASCAR Cup Series driver and Norman, Oklahoma native Christopher Bell, who considers Texas Motor Speedway his home track. “I’m super excited about having Kyle and Brexton compete in C. Bell’s Micro Mania,” said Bell. “After driving for him for several years and talking over the years about dirt racing, it’s been really fun to follow Brexton’s young career through go karts and now into the Junior Sprints. Kyle is a world-class driver and I am thankful he gets to compete alongside Brexton.”

Kyle Busch Documentary “ROWDY” Screens Wednesday Night In Theaters Nationwide Film Offers An Insider’s Look At One Of The Most Successful and Controversial Drivers In NASCAR History | Press Release, Fathom Events RACING REFRESH FILM REVIEW, CLICK HERE LOS ANGELES June 28, 2022 – Theaters across the U.S. will screen the critically Kyle Busch critically acclaimed documentary “ROWDY” on Wednesday night, June 29. Information and ticket purchase can be accessed via Rowdy | Fathom Events . The one-night-only screenings follow the world premiere, held on June 23 at Nashville’s Regal Opry Mills. That special event—held only days before the All 400 at Nashville Superspeedway—was highlighted with an appearance by Bush, his wife Samantha and son Brexton, his brother and fellow NASCAR competitor Kurt. They were joined by personalities from both NASCAR and the Nashville entertainment industry. Chronicling the career of one of the most successful and controversial drivers in NASCAR history, ROWDY has been produced by Chance Wright of Wright Productions along with Hans Schiff and John Stevens of Venture 10 Studio Group. Busch - who earned the moniker “ROWDY” because of his flat-out, no-holds-barred racing style - is widely considered to be one of the most polarizing drivers of the contemporary NASCAR Series. The documentary provides a special look at his unmatched talent and singular determination to win at everything while giving candid insights from family, friends and NASCAR personnel on his life and career. Busch confronts his physical limits when he sustains a potentially career-ending wreck in 2015, only to find a path to win the series championship that same season. His journey is ranked as one of the greatest sports comebacks of all time. Busch’s irreverent and polarizing personality, whether in or out of the driver’s seat, has earned him both diehard fans and vehement detractors, though his accomplishments are irrefutable. His 60 Cup wins lead all active drivers, ranking Busch ninth on the all-time wins list. Busch is the all-time record-holder for wins in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series (102) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (61). Busch has a total of 223 victories in all three NASCAR national series. “ROWDY is an incredible comeback story of perseverance, grit, and overcoming improbable odds,” said Wright. “Peeling back the curtain shows the truth in athleticism in NASCAR and Kyle. Hardcore fans of NASCAR will get as much out of this as the person who has never seen a race.” In addition to interviews with Busch himself, the documentary provides commentary from some of NASCAR’s most legendary personalities, including but not limited to: NASCAR superstars Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon , team owners Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs, brother Kurt Busch and wife Samantha Busch. Sponsors include Toyota Motor North America, Deer Park Spring Water, Stillhouse Black Bourbon, and Rowdy Energy.

(image via @FormulaOneGame) With Formula One gaining new heights with it's Drive to Survive series on Netflix and a growing following here in the United States which is certainly given the series popularity it hasn't seen in decades. With the new Formula One videogame by Codemasters now fresh off the press, Racing Refresh gives our review on the latest edition of the series; F1 2022.. EA Sports has full control over the Formula One world in terms of it's video game series. For most fans, it as seen as a negative and while the bad does show through the cracks its almost nothing to write home about. Visually speaking it is one of the most beautiful iterations of the series to date. The car models look absolutely stunning and some times to the passing eye it can seem to blur the line of virtual and real action on the track. The physics model has been updated to accommodate the new car and at times can be a handful to control at times. The car seems more loose coming out of turns with snap-oversteer. Curbs you would have taken so aggressively in previous iterations of the series are now no-go zones due to the fact of the aerodynamic structure of the car will high point the car sending it into a series of quick corrections to maintain control. Going into a race, players now have the option for more manual control on race-start and on pit road. Gone are the days of completing a formation lap and letting the computer drive you to your starting spot on the grid. Now you can manually position your car in the box and wait for those lights to go out and away you will go. This also applies to pit lane where you can control turning into the box and nailing a purple gate which will give you the best pit stop time possible. Tracks have been visually updated to match their real world counterparts and Australia has been updated to match its reconfiguration. Miami has been added to the series and is one of the tracks I had the most pleasure of completing laps around in the series for some time now. Also being introduced into the series is the ability to drive supercars in a new mode. Players can drive the McLaren Artura, Ferrari Roma, Mercedes AMG, and Aston Martin DB11 V12 for a brand new experience that gives you the ability to virtually try the Pirelli Hot Laps like in real life. Each car has its' own handling experience that sets them apart from one another to give a very nice Forza Motorsport vibe and can be a nice change of pace away from serious on-track competition. With the good out of the way, the bad is the introduction of the new "F1 Life" mode which seems like a way for player to collect cars and clothes. You get a virtual penthouse to live the lifestyle of a Formula One driver. In my opinion, I would have loved the return of "Braking Point" which was a very nice addition to the series in F1 2021 and added more depth to a game that is in dire need of an overhaul. While F1 2022 is a step in the right direction for the series as it is the best game on the market right now outside of iRacing that gives fans that itch to go wheel-to-wheel in some heart-pounding, white-knuckle racing. With that being said, F1 2022 leaves me wanting more at the end of they day without a story mode and with the same features that have been in the last five iterations of the series makes it feel stale at times. With that I give F1 2022 a 3.75 out of five.

By Adam Carabine When you consider Kurt Busch’s legacy in the NASCAR Cup Series, the first things that come to mind aren’t always his wins. Kurt was once known as one of the angriest drivers, both on and off the track. A simple YouTube search shows many videos showcasing his legendary temper, whether it was aimed at fellow drivers, reporters, or even his own team. These days, however, Kurt Busch has mellowed out some, and has turned into one of NASCAR’s leaders. After leaving the #1 car at the end of last season, he signed a deal to come on board with 23XI Racing, the team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan. As the most senior driver in the series with 773 Cup Series races under his belt (currently 11th all-time), Kurt was brought in to be a mentor to his new teammate, driver of the #23, Bubba Wallace. Busch, despite turning 44 later this August, still remains competitive in his 22nd Cup Series season. He has seven Top-10 finishes, five Top-5 finishes, and even a win earlier this season at Kansas Motor Speedway. He just came off a second-place finish this past weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. “It was a tough weekend in general, just with all of the weather challenges,” Kurt said in a meeting with media Tuesday. “... just being out of rhythm, especially after an off-weekend. […] I think we were there for eight hours.” “But for us, [crew chief] Billy Scott, he stayed cool, he stayed smart, everybody used the strength of each other. I’m just really proud of our group to battle through all of that." The once fiery personality has morphed into a gifted leader at 23XI. He even told a story about running out of food in the hauler during the elongated rain delay. He had a stockpile of frozen pizzas brought out from his own personal motorhome to help feed the team “just to try and help everybody get through it all.” When asked about what made him a good leader, and whether it was something that came naturally to him or if he’s had to work on it, he replied, “I would say both. I didn’t know how to manage a race when I first got into Cup. The 500-milers, a championship run, and then being a brand ambassador for so many different sponsors, then being a champion in this sport, you learn things. You want to give back to a community that’s given me so much. So I try to keep it real, try to keep it fun, and show the enthusiasm level for an old guy, yet teach the young guys that there’s responsibility with all of this.” His teammate Bubba Wallace made some headlines after this past weekend’s race. When his pit crew lost him some crucial track position after yet another slow stop, he was heard on the radio cursing them all out, even going so far as to demand that crew chief Bootie Barker not speak to him for the remainder of the race. As someone who is no stranger to these types of outbursts in the past, Kurt Busch said, “I’ve got my arm around him, I’m [saying to him]: ‘Hey man, I’ve been here, I’m right there with you. I’m a racer, I’m passionate, we just have to get to that next level of professionalism.’ I’ve made those mistakes, now he’s making those mistakes. […] Everybody is circling around on what the real core issue is, and that’s the consistency on the pit stops. So Bubba’s right, but we’ve just got to get that problem fixed, and we’ve got to handle it correctly.” It’s a refreshing change of tone for the veteran driver, who now works under one of the greatest leaders of all time, Michael Jordan. “I thought that I had a strong work ethic when I got here [to 23XI], and he brings out even more in everybody here. That’s the spirit that I think 23XI really has behind it. The work ethic from [Michael Jordan] and the championship effort each and every day.” That work ethic has paid off. Kurt Busch added, “even without [my win at] Kansas, this has been one of my most rewarding seasons with building the team up. Being part of something brand new, I’m going to leave my fingerprints on this when I’m done racing. The family atmosphere here at 23XI is what’s made this season fun. It’s energizing, and here we go, we’re just starting the second half.”

Photo by: Logan Riely/Getty Images By Matt Marr It was "NASHCAR" weekend in Music City - Nashville, Tennessee. Denny Hamlin won the pole and brought the field to the start of the Ally 400 alongside Joey Logano. Problems would occur early for Hendrick Motorsports. Alex Bowman brought out the caution with heavy damage after hitting the wall, and William Byron had a mechanical issue. Both would find themselves in the garage in Stage 1. Martin Truex Jr. got a great restart on lap 65, taking over the lead from Hamlin and would hold on for the stage 1 win. Logano and Truex led the start of stage 2. Two seperate red flags came out for both lightning, and rain poured down over the track. The race resumed at lap 151 with Hamlin leading Truex on the restart. The two of them battled back and forth during the entire stage but it was Truex on top to win Stage 2. Truex led teammate Kyle Busch to the start of the third and final stage on lap 191. Chase Elliott took the lead from Kyle Busch with 55 laps to go. After enduring multiple restarts within the final 50 laps, Elliott fended off Kurt Busch to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Ally 400 Top 5: 1. Chase Elliott 2. Kurt Busch 3. Ryan Blaney 4. Kyle Larson 5. Ross Chastain

Race weekend: Friday, July 1 - Sunday, July 3 Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a 13-turn, a 2.258-mile road course in Lexington, Ohio Race distance: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 80 laps/180.64 miles Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 35 laps/79.03 miles or 55 minutes Push-to-pass parameters: NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation. | Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires: 150 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 15 seconds per activation. Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate to be used during the event weekend. One additional set of primary tires may be used by teams fielding a rookie driver. Teams must use one set of primary and one set of new (sticker) alternate tires for at least two laps in the race. 2021 race winners: NTT INDYCAR SERIES - Josef Newgarden (No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet) Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Race 1: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) Race 2: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) Race 3: Kyle Kirkwood (No. 28 Andretti Autosport) Race 4: Linus Lundqvist (No. 26 Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports) 2021 NTT P1 Award winner: Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet) 1:06.6739, 121.919 mph. Qualifying lap record: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Simon Pagenaud, 1:03.8700, 127.271 mph, July 30, 2016 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Oliver Askew, 1:10.8079, 114.801 mph, July 27, 2019 NBC Sports race telecast: The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, July 3, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s coverage of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, alongside analysts Townsend Bell and James Hinchcliffe. Peacock Premium Live Streaming: All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product, while NBC’s race telecast of The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R will be simulcast on the streaming service. Peacock Premium’s exclusive post-race show – featuring driver interviews, podium ceremonies and post-race analysis – will be streamed following the race. The Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio will be streamed on Peacock Premium with practice and qualifying being shown on INDYCAR Live! INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Mark Jaynes is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Joel Sebastianelli and Alex Wolff are the pit reporters. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R race (noon ET Sunday), Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio (10:30 a.m. ET Sunday) and all NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires practices and qualifying sessions air live on network affiliates, SiriusXM 160, racecontrol.indycar.com and the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA. At-track schedule (all times local): Friday, July 1 2:20-3:10 p.m. - Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice 1, INDYCAR Live 3:30-4:45 p.m. - NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 1, Peacock Premium (Note: One set of alternate tires may be used during this session and all teams must return that set after the practice) Saturday, July 2 8:35-9:15 a.m. - Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Practice 2, INDYCAR Live 9:30-10:30 p.m. - NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 (45 minutes limited guarantee), Peacock Premium 1:45-2:05 p.m. - Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Qualifying, INDYCAR Live 2:45-4 p.m. - Qualifying for NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium Sunday, July 3 9:45-10:15 a.m. - NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, Peacock Premium 10:35 a.m. - Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio "Drivers, start your engines" 10:40 a.m. - Indy Lights at Mid-Ohio (35 laps/79.03 miles or 55 minutes), Peacock Premium Noon - NBC on air 12:46 p.m. - The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R "Drivers, start your engines" 12:53 p.m. - The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2023 Civic Type R (80 laps, 180.64 miles), NBC (Live). NTT INDYCAR SERIES Notes: There have been six different winners in eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the 2022 season. Scott McLaughlin (Streets of St. Petersburg), Josef Newgarden (Texas Motor Speedway, Streets of Long Beach and Road America), Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park), Colton Herta (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Marcus Ericsson (Indianapolis 500) and Will Power (Raceway at Belle Isle Park) have all won in 2022. The record for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014. There have been six different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Marcus Ericsson and Will Power) The only repeat winners in that stretch are Herta (Laguna Seca 2021 and Long Beach 2021) and Newgarden (Texas 2022, Long Beach 2022 and Road America 2022). The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be the 39th INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Josef Newgarden won the race in 2021. Johnny Rutherford won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Mid-Ohio in 1980. Scott Dixon is the winningest INDYCAR SERIES driver at Mid-Ohio with six victories. Emerson Fittipaldi won at Mid-Ohio three times, while Michael Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Teo Fabi, Josef Newgarden, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser and Alex Zanardi all won at Mid-Ohio twice. Dixon, Castroneves and Newgarden are expected to compete. Other previous Mid-Ohio winners entered include Graham Rahal, Simon Pagenaud, Alexander Rossi, Will Power and Colton Herta.

NASCAR WIRE - Reid Spencer LEBANON, Tenn. – In a race twice delayed by lightning, Chase Elliott stole the thunder from a contingent of Toyota drivers who showed early dominance. After a late caution slowed the action in Sunday’s Ally 400, Elliott remained on the track and led the field to a restart with four laps left at Nashville Superspeedway. Elliott pulled away from runner-up Kurt Busch and powered his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet across the finish line with a margin of .551 seconds. In fashioning his second NASCAR Cup Series victory of the season, his first at Nashville and the 15th of his career, Elliott overcame a long pit stop on Lap 120 that dropped him to 25th in the running order. “I’m so proud of our team,” Elliott said. “We had a setback about halfway, but we were able to get the NAPA Chevy dialed back in and get back in the mix. It was a long day, a fun day… I’m so proud of our team. We’ve had a pretty rough month, month-and-a-half. It’s just nice to get back going in the right direction. “Getting a win is always huge. To do it in a really cool city like Nashville is even better. I’m looking forward to that guitar (trophy).” Elliott beat three Toyota drivers—pole winner Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch—who collectively led 250 of the 300 laps at the 1.33-mile concrete track. It might be more accurate to say that the Toyota drivers beat themselves by pitting during the 10th and final caution on Lap 291, the result of a blown engine in Josh Bilicki’s Chevrolet. While Elliott and Kurt Busch stayed out under caution, along with eight other drivers, Kyle Busch, Truex and Hamlin all came to pit road for tires. Of the three, only Hamlin advanced over the final four laps, finishing sixth behind Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain. Kyle Busch and Truex ran afoul of heavy traffic on the final lap and came home 21st and 22nd, respectively. Hamlin, who led a race-high 114 laps, was out front for the first 41 circuits before lightning halted the action for one hour 27 seconds. After the resumption and two more cautions, Truex passed Hamlin for the lead on lap 66 and help through the end of Stage 1. Truex, who led six times for 82 laps, also won the second stage, but Elliott’s car came to life in the final third of the race. Elliott had a one-second lead over Kyle Busch, with Hamlin and Truex trailing in third and fourth place, when Bilicki’s engine failure caused the final caution with nine laps remaining. Kurt Busch’s only regret about his runner-up finish was not being more aggressive on the final restart. “I wanted to throw some fenders, but I didn’t get the job done,” said the driver of the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota. “Everybody will be smiling, but I let them down. I should have come up with a better plan. “We were going to stay out no matter what, and I needed to start throwing fenders to move people around. I didn’t get after it, and I made too many mistakes and didn’t stick with our strength. I’m not going to say what our strength was, but we did a lot of things good. “We didn’t have one exceptional item. We’re second with our Toyota Camry. I want to do it over, but you don’t get those at this elite level and Chase got the job done.” The second lightning delay, which also brought rain and necessitated track drying, lasted two hours, eight minutes. It occurred on Lap 139, just 11 laps short of halfway. Austin Cindric, Christopher Bell, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick ran sixth through 10th, respectively. Elliott leads the series standings by 30 points over Chastain. NASCAR Cup Series Race – 2nd Annual Ally 400 Nashville Superspeedway Nashville, Tennessee Sunday, June 26, 2022 (4) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 300. (19) Kurt Busch, Toyota, 300. (6) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 300. (3) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 300. (7) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 300. (1) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 300. (24) Austin Cindric #, Ford, 300. (9) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 300. (2) Joey Logano, Ford, 300. (8) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 300. (23) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 300. (30) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 300. (18) Michael McDowell, Ford, 300. (20) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 300. (5) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 300. (25) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 300. (11) Aric Almirola, Ford, 300. (16) Tyler Reddick, Chevrolet, 300. (14) AJ Allmendinger(i), Chevrolet, 300. (22) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 300. (36) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 300. (10) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 300. (21) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 300. (33) Todd Gilliland #, Ford, 300. (26) Harrison Burton #, Ford, 300. (17) Cole Custer, Ford, 300. (31) Cody Ware, Ford, 298. (32) JJ Yeley(i), Ford, 298. (27) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 298. (15) Chris Buescher, Ford, 297. (29) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 297. (35) BJ McLeod(i), Ford, 295. (34) Josh Bilicki(i), Chevrolet, Engine, 285. (28) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 269. (13) William Byron, Chevrolet, 262. (12) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, DVP, 49. Average Speed of Race Winner: 111.22 mph. Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 35 Mins, 15 Secs. Margin of Victory: .551 Seconds. Caution Flags: 10 for 57 laps. Lead Changes: 18 among 7 drivers. Lap Leaders: D. Hamlin 1-65;M. Truex Jr. 66-93;J. Logano 94-96;M. Truex Jr. 97-124;R. Blaney 125;M. Truex Jr. 126;D. Hamlin 127-129;M. Truex Jr. 130;D. Hamlin 131-150;M. Truex Jr. 151;D. Hamlin 152-170;M. Truex Jr. 171-193;K. Busch 194-244;C. Elliott 245-247;D. Hamlin 248-254;K. Busch 255-257;J. Logano 258;K. Busch 259-261;C. Elliott 262-300. Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Denny Hamlin 5 times for 114 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 6 times for 82 laps; Kyle Busch 2 times for 54 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 42 laps; Joey Logano 2 times for 4 laps; Kurt Busch 1 time for 3 laps; Ryan Blaney 1 time for 1 lap. Stage #1 Top Ten: 19,11,12,20,4,5,23,9,18,45 Stage #2 Top Ten: 19,11,18,9,45,5,1,4,12,34

Press Release | JTG-Daugherty Racing LEBANON, Tenn. (June 24, 2022) - - The ink is dry on a multi-year contract extension for NASCAR Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JTG Daugherty Racing. Stenhouse Jr. joined media members in Nashville Superspeedway’s deadline room this afternoon to share the news that he’s returning to the team, which will enter its 29th year in the sport of NASCAR in 2023. “We’re pleased to announce Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is returning to the company,” said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing with Jodi Geschickter, Gordon Smith and Brad Daugherty. “Ricky has done a solid job on the racetrack and off the track during Kroger Racing in-store activations for our esteemed partners. We’re continuing to learn the new car and we’re making progress. We’ve led laps, earned stage points and been close to winning this year.” Since joining JTG Daugherty Racing in 2020, Stenhouse Jr. won the Daytona 500 pole award (2/9/2020) and has collected five top-five, 11 top-10 and 26 top-15 finishes with crew chief Brian Pattie. Now with his path forward, he is set to increase his career stats that include two wins, two pole awards, 20 top-fives and 45 top-10s. “I’m ready to continue our progress together as a team,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr. “We’ve made some strides with this new car at some tracks and we know there’s some work to do on others. I look forward to that process with the good group of people we have in place at JTG Daugherty Racing. I’m grateful to our partners for giving us an opportunity to continue to make our program better. I’m really happy with the first three years here at JTG Daugherty Racing.” Although the Olive Branch, Mississippi native’s two wins occurred at superspeedways, his team has been strong at different styles of tracks this season. Entering Nashville Superspeedway, his best finish this year is second-place at the one-mile high-banked concrete oval of Dover Motor Speedway. “We’re hoping for another good concrete track run at Nashville like we had at Dover where we finished second with our No. 47 Kroger/The Frozen Farmer Camaro,” said Stenhouse Jr. “This style of racetrack has been better for us than some of the other ones and I love Nashville. It was a really good track for us last year, but of course it’s a totally different car. The biggest thing for us is to have a good practice session on Friday and make sure we have a car that handles good and is easy on the tires for our race. “It’s going to be hot at Nashville,” continued Stenhouse. “I love the heat that affects the physical side in the car and then the lack of grip the car has on the track. We were able to come away with a strong run there last year. We feel confident we can do the same with this new car on Sunday.”

NHRA Wire Services - NORWALK, Ohio (June 26, 2022) – Mike Salinas won for the first time at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, taking over the Top Fuel points lead on Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals with his fourth victory of the 2022 season. Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the 10th of 22 races during the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. In the Top Fuel final round, Salinas’ run of 3.706-seconds at 333.58 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster outdistanced Josh Hart, as he also set the track speed record in the championship round. It continued Salinas' remarkable season, sending him past Brittany Force for the points lead with his seventh career victory. Salinas reached the final round by knocking off Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta and Leah Pruett, posting a stellar reaction time in the final round against Hart as he won for the third time in the past five races. “It’s amazing,” Salinas said. “(Crew chief) Rob Flynn brought a calmness to this team, and everyone has a voice. I think that is unprecedented and that’s been pretty awesome. We’ve earned the right to be out here and race against these guys, and we belong here. It’s a good thing because we’ve got a great team and I’m learning how to drive. It’s been really cool for this entire team and a lot of fun, and I just really appreciate being here and being in this position.” Hart reached his first final round of 2022 and third in his career by knocking off Spencer Massey, Austin Prock and Force, who now trails Salinas by just 12 points. Salinas wasn’t the only nitro driver who took over the points lead on Sunday, as Hight did the same in Funny Car, rolling to his fourth win of the season as well with an impressive 3.944 at 327.51 in the finals in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS against Bob Tasca III. It is Hight’s 57th career win and first at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, making a series of stellar runs during eliminations, including a 3.890 at 328.06 in the semifinals against J.R. Todd. Hight also took care of business against Jim Campbell and Alexis DeJoria to reach the final round, where he was able to hold off Tasca for a monumental victory. “This is big for us,” Hight said. “I had never won here, so being able to cross this one off and get the points lead, it’s big. The conditions kind of came to us (on Sunday). When it gets a little cooler, you’re not going to beat (crew chief) Jimmy Prock. I’m so proud of this team, they’ve worked so hard. It shows we’re legit and we’re here to win. I’ve had so much fun this weekend and we’ve had a great time, and I’m not ready for it to end.” Tasca reached the finals in Norwalk for the third straight time, picking up round wins against Mike McIntire Jr., Hagan and No. 1 qualifier and defending world champ Ron Capps. Hight leads Hagan by 21 points as the 2022 campaign nears the halfway mark. Enders’ incredible domination in Pro Stock during the 2022 season continued, as she won in Norwalk for the second straight year, beating Aaron Stanfield in the final round with a strong 6.627 at 207.88 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. In the third straight final round between the two teammates, Enders picked up her fourth win in the past five races, avenging last Sunday’s wild final against Stanfield in Bristol. This weekend, Enders was a step ahead of everyone throughout, qualifying No. 1 by a large margin and then making strong runs throughout eliminations, beating Fernando Cuadra Jr., Matt Hartford, and Deric Kramer to reach the championship round. There, she was nearly perfect, posting a .018 reaction time before driving away from Stanfield in what has become a special year for the points leader and four-time world champ. Enders now has five wins in eight Pro Stock events in 2022, with Sunday’s victory her 38th overall. "We started off on the right foot in Pomona, and after we exploded last weekend in Bristol, the guys rallied and put in a new bullet for this race,” Enders said. “It performed pretty flawlessly. It mowed down the scoreboard on Friday and we threw out some really great numbers on raceday. I’m really proud of my guys. To have a group believe in me like they do, it makes my job a whole heck of a lot easier. I have a group that believes in me and lifts me up, and I attribute all my success to that.” Stanfield’s third straight final round kept him second in points and gave him five this season and 11 in his career. He got there on Sunday by taking down Troy Coughlin Jr., Mason McGaha, and Kyle Koretsky. Enders’ points lead is now 105 over Stanfield. A week after going red in the final round, Sampey more than made up for it on Sunday in Norwalk in Pro Stock Motorcycle, knocking off Joey Gladstone in the championship round with a standout pass of 6.861 at 197.13 on her Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki. It gave Sampey, a three-time world champ, her first victory of the season and 46th in her career. She reached the finals with round wins against Ron Tornow, defending world champ Matt Smith and Jerry Savoie, who picked up the win against Sampey last Sunday. But this weekend belonged to Sampey, and she led wire-to-wire against Gladstone to come through with a much-needed victory, which is her first at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. “You don’t know the internal battle that I was going through since last week,” Sampey said. “This was huge after the final in Bristol. I threw it away. I gave it to Jerry. It slipped through fingers and on Monday I prepared for this race. By Friday, I dug deep within myself. Twenty years ago, I wouldn’t have had to do what I did mentally, but I’ve found that the biggest competitor these days is myself.” Looking for his first career win, Gladstone came up just short, but still managed a strong weekend, knocking off Jimmy Underdahl, Karen Stoffer and Hector Arana Jr. in his first final this season and third in his career. Steve Johnson maintained his points lead, but it closed to just 52 over Sampey. The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action July 15-17 with the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Denver. It is also the start of the famed three-race Western Swing. *** NORWALK, Ohio -- Final finish order (1-16) at the 15th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. The race is the 10th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. TOP FUEL: 1. Mike Salinas; 2. Josh Hart; 3. Brittany Force; 4. Leah Pruett; 5. Doug Kalitta; 6. Steve Torrence; 7. Austin Prock; 8. Tripp Tatum; 9. Antron Brown; 10. Shawn Langdon; 11. Tony Schumacher; 12. Billy Torrence; 13. Justin Ashley; 14. Kyle Wurtzel; 15. Spencer Massey; 16. Clay Millican. FUNNY CAR: 1. Robert Hight; 2. Bob Tasca III; 3. J.R. Todd; 4. Ron Capps; 5. Cruz Pedregon; 6. John Force; 7. Alexis DeJoria; 8. Matt Hagan; 9. Chad Green; 10. Jim Campbell; 11. Mike McIntire; 12. Bobby Bode; 13. Blake Alexander; 14. Paul Lee; 15. Tim Wilkerson; 16. Dale Creasy Jr. PRO STOCK: 1. Erica Enders; 2. Aaron Stanfield; 3. Deric Kramer; 4. Kyle Koretsky; 5. Greg Anderson; 6. Matt Hartford; 7. Camrie Caruso; 8. Mason McGaha; 9. Chris McGaha; 10. Kenny Delco; 11. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 12. Bo Butner; 13. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 14. Fernando Cuadra; 15. Dallas Glenn; 16. Cristian Cuadra. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Angelle Sampey; 2. Joey Gladstone; 3. Jerry Savoie; 4. Hector Arana Jr; 5. Karen Stoffer; 6. Angie Smith; 7. Eddie Krawiec; 8. Matt Smith; 9. Chip Ellis; 10. LE Tonglet; 11. Jim Underdahl; 12. Steve Johnson; 13. Ryan Oehler; 14. Ron Tornow; 15. Jianna Evaristo; 16. Marc Ingwersen. NORWALK, Ohio -- Sunday's final results from the 15th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. The race is the 10th of 22 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: Top Fuel -- Mike Salinas, 3.706 seconds, 333.58 mph def. Josh Hart, 3.783 seconds, 325.37 mph. Funny Car -- Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.944, 327.51 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.962, 330.63. Pro Stock -- Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.627, 207.88 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.658, 207.15. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.861, 197.13 def. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.928, 194.60. Top Alcohol Dragster -- Matthew Cummings, 5.313, 275.84 def. Alan Bradshaw, 5.388, 268.06. Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Doug Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.592, 262.95 def. DJ Cox Jr., Camaro, 5.625, 262.33. Competition Eliminator -- Scott Chamness, Dragster, 7.082, 149.35 def. Frank Aragona, Alterd, Broke. Super Stock -- Tyler Bohannon, Chevy Camaro, 9.619, 137.33 def. Joe Santangelo, Camaro, 9.658, 136.65. Stock Eliminator -- Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 10.432, 121.69 def. Brett McFarland, Camaro, 10.202, 126.58. Super Comp -- Patrick Debottis, Dragster, 8.922, 182.30 def. Bob Prose, Dragster, 8.927, 180.94. Super Gas -- Duane LaFleur, Chevy Camaro, 9.910, 163.04 def. Dave Coapstick, Olds Cutlass, 9.907, 161.44. Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Steve Jaeger, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.747, 205.10 def. Glenn Butcher, Chevy Camaro, 6.411, 177.86. Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers -- Al Kenny, Dragster, No Time Recorded def. Karma Hopper, Dragster, Broke - No Show. Pro Modified -- Kris Thorne, Chevy Camaro, 5.796, 247.93 def. Rickie Smith, Ford Mustang, 5.828, 250.04. Factory Stock Showdown -- Bill Skillman, Ford Mustang, 7.810, 177.07 def. David Barton, Chevy Camaro, 7.869, 180.09. NORWALK, Ohio -- Final round-by-round results from the 15th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the 10th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series: TOP FUEL: ROUND ONE -- Josh Hart, 3.756, 323.50 def. Spencer Massey, Foul - Red Light; Austin Prock, 3.836, 256.65 def. Clay Millican, Broke; Brittany Force, 3.774, 310.20 def. Kyle Wurtzel, 8.548, 87.22; Leah Pruett, 3.776, 327.98 def. Justin Ashley, 3.852, 317.49; Mike Salinas, 3.758, 328.06 def. Tony Schumacher, 3.794, 294.82; Doug Kalitta, 3.736, 330.23 def. Antron Brown, 3.772, 324.36; Steve Torrence, 3.746, 327.66 def. Billy Torrence, 3.813, 327.03; Tripp Tatum, 3.732, 325.92 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.793, 322.65; QUARTERFINALS -- Hart, 3.813, 323.66 def. Prock, 3.808, 321.81; Force, 3.765, 329.75 def. Tatum, 3.810, 318.47; Pruett, 3.798, 325.61 def. S. Torrence, 3.802, 327.51; Salinas, 3.771, 329.26 def. Kalitta, 3.776, 324.05; SEMIFINALS -- Salinas, 3.822, 296.89 def. Pruett, 6.062, 135.36; Hart, 3.750, 328.94 def. Force, 3.783, 329.02; FINAL -- Salinas, 3.706, 333.58 def. Hart, 3.783, 325.37. FUNNY CAR: ROUND ONE -- Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.948, 322.65 def. Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 8.509, 104.92; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.921, 326.00 def. Mike McIntire, Toyota Camry, Foul - Red Light; John Force, Chevy Camaro, 3.878, 333.41 def. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.121, 244.96; Ron Capps, Toyota Supra, 5.519, 160.16 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, Foul - Centerline; Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.903, 326.24 def. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.093, 311.85; Alexis DeJoria, Supra, 3.952, 325.85 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 6.865, 94.39; J.R. Todd, Supra, 3.903, 330.80 def. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 6.032, 117.24; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.972, 316.75 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.056, 302.55; QUARTERFINALS -- Capps, 3.974, 327.59 def. Pedregon, 3.982, 323.50; Todd, 3.953, 329.34 def. Force, 4.154, 271.52; Hight, 3.997, 311.92 def. DeJoria, 4.651, 175.71; Tasca III, 3.941, 327.27 def. Hagan, 4.876, 173.45; SEMIFINALS -- Hight, 3.890, 328.06 def. Todd, 3.916, 329.75; Tasca III, 3.933, 329.18 def. Capps, 3.973, 327.11; FINAL -- Hight, 3.944, 327.51 def. Tasca III, 3.962, 330.63. PRO STOCK: ROUND ONE -- Matt Hartford, Chevy Camaro, 6.646, 206.89 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, Foul - Red Light; Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.641, 206.54 def. Fernando Cuadra, Mustang, Foul - Red Light; Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.653, 206.51 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 16.985, 47.28; Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.669, 206.95 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.672, 207.24; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.620, 204.63 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.665, 206.13; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.642, 206.29 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.682, 206.26; Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.656, 205.79 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.684, 206.01; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.597, 209.01 def. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, Foul - Red Light; QUARTERFINALS -- Stanfield, 6.684, 206.89 def. M. McGaha, 6.873, 204.01; Koretsky, 6.677, 205.54 def. Caruso, 6.676, 205.54; Kramer, 6.658, 207.11 def. Anderson, 6.616, 204.29; Enders, 6.635, 208.52 def. Hartford, 6.643, 206.95; SEMIFINALS -- Stanfield, 16.957, 49.06 def. Koretsky, Foul - Red Light; Enders, 6.611, 208.59 def. Kramer, 6.659, 207.18; FINAL -- Enders, 6.627, 207.88 def. Stanfield, 6.658, 207.15. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: ROUND ONE -- Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.916, 197.71 def. Marc Ingwersen, Broke; Angie Smith, 6.851, 199.29 def. Ryan Oehler, 7.078, 192.49; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.959, 192.69 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 7.014, 195.48; Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.873, 196.33 def. Chip Ellis, 6.908, 194.63; Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.956, 168.51 def. Ron Tornow, Foul - Red Light; Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.890, 195.62 def. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.988, 196.13; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.864, 197.74 def. Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 9.227, 98.93; Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.879, 197.86 def. LE Tonglet, Suzuki, 6.938, 194.91; QUARTERFINALS -- Savoie, 6.991, 193.49 def. A. Smith, Foul - Red Light; Sampey, 6.890, 195.90 def. M. Smith, 6.947, 195.53; Gladstone, 6.907, 195.28 def. Stoffer, 6.855, 195.73; Arana Jr, 6.915, 197.13 def. Krawiec, 6.942, 176.60; SEMIFINALS -- Gladstone, 6.935, 193.82 def. Arana Jr, Foul - Red Light; Sampey, 6.855, 198.35 def. Savoie, 6.995, 183.29; FINAL -- Sampey, 6.861, 197.13 def. Gladstone, 6.928, 194.60. NORWALK, Ohio -- Point standings (top 10) following the 15th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, the 10th of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - Top Fuel 1. Mike Salinas, 821; 2. Brittany Force, 809; 3. Steve Torrence, 712; 4. Justin Ashley, 711; 5. Austin Prock, 513; 6. Josh Hart, 509; 7. Shawn Langdon, 467; 8. Clay Millican, 462; 9. Doug Kalitta, 459; 10. Leah Pruett, 417. Funny Car 1. Robert Hight, 929; 2. Matt Hagan, 908; 3. Ron Capps, 829; 4. John Force, 655; 5. Cruz Pedregon, 561; 6. Bob Tasca III, 517; 7. J.R. Todd, 509; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 490; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 443; 10. Chad Green, 408. Pro Stock 1. Erica Enders, 814; 2. Aaron Stanfield, 709; 3. Kyle Koretsky, 562; 4. Dallas Glenn, 476; 5. Greg Anderson, 459; 6. Mason McGaha, 435; 7. Camrie Caruso, 422; 8. Deric Kramer, 376; 9. Matt Hartford, 340; 10. Bo Butner, 337. Pro Stock Motorcycle 1. Steve Johnson, 488; 2. Angelle Sampey, 436; 3. Karen Stoffer, 433; 4. Joey Gladstone, 385; 5. Angie Smith, 383; 6. Matt Smith, 379; 7. Eddie Krawiec, 377; 8. Jerry Savoie, 343; 9. Marc Ingwersen, 293; 10. Jim Underdahl, 259.

A great day of high speed excitement took place on Sunday at ‘America’s Track’, Summit Motorsports Park. As the fans were ushered into the facility, a full cloud cover graced the skies threatening the possibility of rain. Honour guard carried flags, a pre-race platform just behind the start line staged the racers and their teams for driver introductions. As the announcer introduced each driver and commented on their weekend’s performance, the crowd’s chants got louder and louder as more successful icons in the sport were introduced. Vocal cheers for past champions such as Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, and Brittany Force preambled those of the true heroes of Ron Capps and John Force, who’s fan response was noticeably more massive. Ron Capps took the stage and had the opportunity to speak briefly to the host and his fans who this time were more attentive. .Capps, the number one qualifier for the weekend stated on more than one occasion over the last few days prideful thoughts on his new race team, his sponsors, and the fans. These were repeated in the pre-race speech. He waved, took a couple of photos, moved on to be with his team. Behind the curtain of the stage, the greatest ever, 16x champion John Force studied a sheet of notes he had prepared to discuss to the fans. He was introduced but not asked questions about his race car. He wasn’t asked about his sponsors, or his daughter’s weekend. It was not a matter of pressure to represent his loyal sponsors. He wasn’t encouraged to joke about his longtime friend and track owner Bill Bader Jr.. Instead, a somber but serious series of statements in regards to the passing of motorsports icon Bruton Smith was preached by Force to the NHRA racing community. The audience went silent, and grew focused. They watched and listened to John’s every word. “...to the friends and family of Bruton, Marcus, NASCAR, the fans. We love you. We love you.” Force said. “...sure he liked to make money, we all do! But what he did with that money was monumental, the children’s hospitals, man, those kids.’’ Force’s emotion was sincere and a piece of closure that the racing community needed to begin their healing after losing a racing icon and community icon, Bruton Smith. Introductions were complete. Teams, fans, media, and track officials returned to their starting points like it was The Truman Show. The pre-event invocation was offered, and a local Sandusky High School teacher provided the national anthem. A significant weekend in NHRA was taking place that wouldn’t soon be forgotten.. The competitors ran their eliminators. In most weekend reviews we would mention a recap of each of the head to head matchups, but words should not distract from Ron Capps’ first round driving that will be shown on highlight reels for years. A poor start nearly eliminated Capps off the tree. After nearly losing the race to Dale Creasy in the right lane, Creasy started to lose control and crossed the center line. Capps drove the car to the left and the right like a drift car in Fast and Furious, sliding within inches of his competitor. Capps used throttle control and over twenty years of racing experience to ensure his newly molded Supra GR remained unscathed. Flames shot out of the right side exhaust of his Toyota burning the famed NAPA logo on the right side of the car. Unfortunately he lost in the semi-finals. [Editors note…event under rain delay at time of posting full results will be posted at a later time.] Pass after pass knocked out well-known drivers. John Force, Leah Pruett, Austin Prock, Millican. Among the festivities, a calm and professional Tony Stewart (who had just won the SRX feature on Saturday) arrived at the track to support his team. He was engaging and leading in regards to his demeanor, but trusting in his team to build and put his TSR Nitro cars into the finals. Hagan lost in the quarter-finals to Bob Tasca III and Pruett lost to Mike Salinas in the semi-finals. The former INDY and NASCAR champion carried himself in a way that made it clear to fans he is there to work and support his team, not to be a show car of his past racing success. A side-theme from the promoters emphasized a pre-Independence Day attitude from track owners Bill Bader Jr. and Snap-On Tools CEO Nicholas T. Pinchuk. Both businessmen addressed the audience in the grandstands simply thanking them, their hard work and love for automobile racing, and ending with reflective ‘God Bless America’ statements. Drivers such as John Force, Ron Capps, and Tony Schumacher also spoke to the property’s grande scale, complimenting Bill Bader routinely through the weekend. For two and a half days genuine, unrehearsed entertainment and excitement was felt and experienced by all from Friday through Sunday’s near end. Then the rain swept in. The semi finals took place, challenging inbound weather and setting the stage for the complete of the wonderful weekend. The following finalists qualified for their last round of racing. Top Fuel: Josh Hart and Mike Salinas Funny Car: Bob Tasca III and Robert Hight Pro-Stock: Erica Enders and Aaron Stanfield Pro-Stock Bike: Joey Gladstone and Angelle Sampey And now we wait. Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk are nearly complete yet so far from their completion. At the conclusion of the first draft of this article, rain continues to pour on property. Fans have shuffled out, and television cameras have turned off. The results of this weekend’s race will be determined on several hour delay caused by Mother Nature. More to come…

Photo Credit : AJ Appeal, RacingRefresh.com The sun was melting the slick asphalt in Norwalk, Ohio as the third round of Nitro Qualifying began. After an early afternoon of time trials and practicing, autograph sessions, and catered luncheons with their established guests, the teams of NHRA’s top divisions took to the track. A parody of great and terrible times were displayed to start the event. The top-fuel class was littered with poor runs throughout. Nearly half of the initial top-fuel passes were in the eleven second range. While the challenges that some teams were facing was the headline, there was plenty of speed as well. Leah Pruett broke the trend with a 319 mph run down the strip, positioned across Clay Millican. The Capco teammates of Shawn Langdon and reigning champion Steve Torrence ended the round fastest overall. In all but one of the rounds head-to-head runs, the left lane was the quickest. Funny car followed with a much more competitive batch of speed, and a final pass that included the two most popular drivers in the full bodied cars, John Force and Ron Capps. Capps had issues in the round and Force managed a high for the round just shy of 326MPH. In total, seven of the cars who made pass did so at a speed over 300 mph, led by Force himself. Stay tuned with RacingRefresh.com for more updates through the weekend!

By Adam Carabine

By Adam Carabine Welcome to the 2nd annual Playoff Forecast project. Projections are calculated by simulating the 2022 Cup Series schedule 125,000 times, using a top-secret predictive formula that is based on 3 important factors: Driver History @ Each Track, Driver Recent Overall History, and Team Performance. How to read it: The numbers in brackets show that driver’s position last week. The percentages in each column refer to the probability of that driver making it to that round. We have also simulated the week's Cup Series race. Check back each week to see who's favoured to win. Note - Because Nashville is newer to the Cup Series circuit, the numbers are only based on last year's race, leading to likely a skewed result. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all your StatChat Merch from the Racing Refresh online store!

I have been a true student of motorsports since year 2000 when my uncle moved to Columbus, OH and introduced me to Big and Little E. Prior to my pursuit of racing knowledge, I have distinct memories of watching Dennis Anderson's monstrous Grave Digger, or King Kenny Bernstein's iconic Budweiser livery win countless races. I remember the rainbow assortment of Pontiac Trans-Ams race in the prestigious IROC events. I sat in amazement as the greatest racer that ever lived, Michael Schumacher won what felt like every start of his career. I always enjoyed motorsports, but it was the off-season of 2000-01 that made me crave and live for more each day. My uncle had diecast cars that sat on shelves, each with their own story. While they were a wonderful collection, I think I assumed price tags in the millions of dollars as a child. Earnhardt's K2, old Chevy hot rods, Busch Series this, Winston Cup Series that, he had a wonderful collection. There was one driver he highlighted to me that many were unaware of in this era; Wendell Scott's die-cast cars were some of his favourites in the collection. While we are now fortunate to live in a time where drivers of every shape and colour are in the top ranks of motorsports, Wendell Scott raced in a much different era, in a deeply-rooted region of the country. He was poor. He was tired. Yet he loved cars and he loved to race. There is some conflicting history as to whether Scott himself agreed to be a trouble-making headline and race in areas just to piss off the fans, but the truth we cannot avoid is that there were fans that hated him for one reason; he was a black man in a white man's sport. I learned through a toy car on my uncle's collection in 2001 that Wendell Scott was an unrecognized winner in NASCAR's top series. It killed me as a young boy to think that he experienced hate for something so meaningless such as the colour of his skin. I genuinely dreamt of a day when I would see a black man or a woman win at the top levels of motorsport. As the years went by, I pursued in my head a career in the racing industry, but I wanted to be behind the wheel not behind the television screen. Our family didn't have a last name like Petty or Earnhardt. We didn't have a revenue like Menard or Penske. We were a middle class family with absolutely no history of racing in our blood. Despite having a NASCAR home-track in our backyard of Obetz, Ohio, it wasn't in the cards for me to get onto the pavement growing up. I instead focused on simulator racing. On the Gran Turismo series alone, I raced over 500,000 miles. I learned why cars respond to different techniques, and how to save fuel and tires. I was essentially a teenage crew chief. While believing in a video gaming career eons before the true gaming era existed, I kept studying racing. I got books as holiday gifts, I read excerpts in our local Columbus Dispatch paper, I would stay up late to see if the news affiliates would give a shoutout or update to the racing world in their sports segment. (Often times, they would not.) I learned about NASCAR, Indycar, drag racing, dirt bikes, I wanted to know it all; I needed to. Years would pass and I found a position working for an arcade in 2005. While I didn't have many racing fans in my world at that time, I entered a racing pool with about 5 colleagues and had the opportunity to interact with other racing fans on a regular basis for the first time in my life. We would bet five bucks on a driver each week and the winner would take the pot. We kept stats and records, and eventually it would turn into a fantasy league that our core group of friends still maintains today. While working for the arcade, I would every Saturday. We had a go-kart track on property. I helped our mechanic Jim update sponsor and livery decals so that our karts were painted like the top drivers in racing. As I look back that was probably a copyright violation. I would clock-out many nights and race for hours on the go-karts, I easily raced more than a thousand 5-minute rides each summer on Saturday nights. I would go home and read about all of the racing I had missed while I was at work. Sunday was dedicated to watching the races. I would finish my evening watching Dave Despain's Wind Tunnel. Despain and the late Indycar writer Robin Miller would inform me of eveyrthing I needed to know before the new week started. That was it, for a long time I had go-kart racing, and racing news on tv. I always believed it could be more. Our fantasy league connected me with people all over the country in the coming years. I met racers, drivers, and other friends. They would prove to be pivotal down the road. My great friends Kyle Turner and Tyler Lawler started a podcast with me in 2013. It wasn't any good, but we loved it. We talked about racing, politics, everything. It evolved over the years into a product called Race Appeal Radio, which had 4 seasons. Our highlighted guests in our youth were Bill Lester and Jesse Iwuji. It was my mission through the show to emphasize the importance of diversity in motorsports. These men are two of the best examples around. Bill is remembered for his time in stock car racing, where he was both a black racer and a 45 year old rookie in NASCAR's Cup Series in 2006. Jesse is of Nigerian decent and is currently a reservist in the United States Navy. Race Appeal Radio transitioned to RacingRefresh.com in 2020. In our first year we built a team of content creators that do video gaming, opinion pieces, at-track marketing, and more. We pride ourselves as a team of diversity. Our co-editor Adam Carabine is a Canadian writer and statistic analyst. Our show's producer is a woman, Peggy Lohr. Our roaming influencer Crystal Clay is a black woman with past experience in supercross and marketing. Colin Best, our open-wheel analyst helps us become more wide-spread rather than pinpointed on one sport. One of our show's most popular segment writers Dan Foster is an openly gay man with decades of racing fandom. The political ideology of our team ranges from left-to-right, and geographically we have members of our team all over North America. What started as a little boy wanting to be a racer, turned into him learning about the significance of motorsports diversity. Racing is the most true of sports that is for ALL people. In 2021, Darrell Wallace Jr. made this an even greater reality, and our team got to cover the race. Our TEAM doesn't always get along. We have a range in opinions, thoughts, expression, and ideas for what makes racing best. We iron out all of our differences for a greater outcome. I challenge you to find an independent publication that is more focused on emphasizing coverage of racing for everyone. Racing Refresh celebrated our first anniversary within the last month. In our first year we were approved as a member of the NASCAR media, awarded an Indycar credential, and earned 98,000 unique readers. Our goals for 2022 are even greater and we are committed to providing quality, fact-driven, community purposed content for years to come. Thank you for helping me, us, and everyone of the Racing Refresh team, an overnight success. Here's to year two. - AJ