Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images By Adam Carabine & Logan Morris Logan Morris:  Adam, here again after a wild and wooly race at the paper clip. Denny Hamlin dominated in pretty spectacular fashion as he secured his 55th career win to pass the great Lee Petty on the all-time wins list. What were your thoughts? Adam Carabine: Yes, we are back! Denny Hamlin gets off the Martinsville schneid, so to speak, with his first win there in 10 years.  But don’t be fooled, he’s quite gifted at Martinsville, that’s now his 6th career win there in the Cup Series.   The race was fairly disjointed with a bunch of cautions, and then a long green-flag run to the finish.  Was it my favourite race we’ve had this year? No - but a day at the races is always better than nothing!  How about you? LM: Well, we got lucky and our rain dances paid off for once. The forecast looked pretty rough as the week wore on and thankfully there wasn’t a drop to be found today. The race did plunge into chaos come the final stage. One thing I want to note is the rubber build-up we saw on Sunday. It was everywhere! I thought this was one of the better short-track races we’ve seen in this era. Is there more work to do? Yes. But it felt like we saw some progress finally.  AC: Yes, it’s nice that NASCAR (and Goodyear, I suppose) is getting aggressive with some of these softer tire compounds, which really does help the racing product.  One thing we talked about a while back when Martinsville was a complete dud was that there wasn’t enough tire fall-off.  It’s fitting that one of the best at tire management ends up winning the race, Denny Hamlin. From a viewer’s perspective, I can understand why this race wasn’t as popular as others.  There was a little less action at the front of the pack, and most of the cautions we saw were for backmarkers spinning, or light contact.  When there’s a wreck at Martinsville, there’s just nowhere to go - so I think they’re quicker to throw a caution.  And while I agree with that approach - safety first, of course - it can get a little frustrating when there are multiple restarts over and over.  You wind up seeing more laps under caution than under green.  Did that bug you today? LM: Yes. I really believe some sort of limit should be enforced as far as laps per caution. I know the thought of even more new rules makes some people anywhere from a little easy to flat-out ready for a stiff drink. However, I think it’s important for the paying customer to get their money’s worth if it can be helped. Weather is one thing, wasting copious amounts of laps under caution is another. I’m not upset at the quick caution calls. As you said, Adam, safety first. But, viewers want to see as much green-flag racing as possible. We saw Zane Smith fall victim to the tighter conditions today.   AC: We did, but he also put up a pretty solid finish, considering he hasn’t been the most impressive driver so far this year.  He’s actually doing better than the eye-test might show when you look at his stats, but I feel like I haven’t really heard much Zane Smith talk at all this season.  He finished P16 on Sunday which is within the realm of expectation for him.   Something else I wanted to touch on was the battery issues for both Josh Berry and Austin Cindric.  The guys in the booth touched on it lightly, but I wondered what you thought - was this just a freak accident? Or did they try something aggressive setup-wise that backfired? LM: Between the battery issues, and Blaney’s recent engine issues, I’m of the opinion that Team Penske is pushing the envelope and paying for it early in the season. I do not doubt that the contact between Berry and Bubba Wallace on pit road early in the race caused trouble for Berry’s first battery of the day. But, he went through three of them and then there were none for Cindric.   AC: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a car having to retire from the race due to not having enough batteries left! Craziness.  It’s still earlier in the season, and maybe this experimenting will pay off later on down the line for the Penske/Wood Bros teams, but for now things are not going the way they’d like.   LM: Is it still too early to worry about anyone’s season? AC: I think it’s a case-by-case call.  Who do you have in mind? LM: Austin Cindric comes to mind.  AC: That’s fair.  After his DNF this week, and his 50-point penalty earlier this season, he’s certainly in a hole.  He’s currently 24th in points, and it’s a steep climb to get back into the playoff picture.  I would say that Team Penske has the equipment for him to get a win at some point, but certainly not if they keep experimenting.  What about Brad Keselowski? LM: I’m concerned about Keselowski, the way he’s running compared to his teammates/ drivers doesn’t give me a lot of optimism for his season at the moment.  AC: Agreed.  Now finally, before we get to our weekly awards, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you about the Erik Jones DQ - Thoughts? LM: I’m hoping Legacy has grounds to appeal. But, NASCAR usually gives teams a lot of leeway before disqualifying them, so I would guess that Erik Jones’s points deficit just got a lot deeper.   AC: Yeah, you never like to see anyone get disqualified, but post-race weights are a tough one to appeal after the fact. The ol’ post race inspection strikes again!  Anyway, let’s give away some awards! Best Performer LM: My best performer is without question, Denny Hamlin. He put on a clinic today. There is no other option.  AC: It’s hard to disagree with that. Once he got up into clean air, he was unstoppable. He had a little trouble from time to time with some lapped traffic, but he really did a great job of managing the gap back to 2nd.  Biggest Move of the Race LM: I’ll give my biggest move of the race to the 22 team. They battled some adversity to get their first top-ten of the season. They also scored a stage win. Under the radar days like this can make a huge difference later.  AC: Quit stealing all of my answers! I was going to specifically call out Logano and essentially his final 20 laps or so.  When he restarted with 75 to go, he was in 25th. It’s one thing to make a pass when you’ve got fresh tires, or when you’re on a different strategy, but he made some major ground up in those final 20 laps.  He finished P8 (a total gain of 17 spots), including three spots in the final 10 laps.  Awesome work. Biggest Disappointment LM: My biggest disappointment goes to SVG. It has not been a great start for him this season, you have to wonder if he was rushed through the ranks.  AC: Yeah, I saw you mention that in our group chat.  I actually disagree.  Obviously his strong suit is road courses, ovals were always going to be a challenge for him.  He was brought in to be a threat on the road courses, likely with the understanding that he wouldn’t be as competitive on ovals, at least for now.  There’s definitely a learning curve there, especially in a new car to him, as it’s quite different from the Xfinity car, but I think for a team like Trackhouse, the risk was worth the reward.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see an SVG win at a road course this year.  Hopefully he can reign in his oval skills. As far as my biggest disappointment - I’ll say it so you don’t have to.  The Jones DQ is a gut punch to a team that’s already a fringe contender to make the playoffs.  He’s shown some fleeting moments here and there, but hopefully this doesn’t kill morale at the 43 team. What to Watch for Next Weekend LM: Next weekend we’re onto the Lady in Black as she’s known. It’s throwback weekend, which is one of my favorite weekends of the season. I know my favorite throwback already!  Denny Hamlin has a very real chance of going back-to-back. You mentioned Erik Jones, we know how strong he can be at Darlington. AC: Darlington is one of my favourite tracks to watch, so I’m looking forward to it! While throwback weekend doesn’t necessarily get me as excited as it does for others, there has been some widespread backlash against Chase Elliott’s throwback scheme, so I’m interested to see how they navigate that in the broadcast booth. I’d keep an eye on Chase Briscoe.  He won the Southern 500 last fall (with yours truly in attendance, no less), and he’s in better equipment this time.  This would be an important statement from him and the 19 team.   Whatever happens, we’ll be here to break it all down for you post-race.  See you next week! LM: I’ll be chilling with my boombox!

(Photo Courtesy NHRA) PRO STOCK FUNNY CAR TOP FUEL

Press Release | NHRA Defending world champion Austin Prock and his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman dominated the Funny Car ranks on Saturday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, as Prock powered to the No. 1 qualifier position at the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals and Jack Beckman won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge specialty race. Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the third of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.   Beckman went 3.831-seconds at 330.72 seconds in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS, defeating Paul Lee in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and claiming his first win in the specialty race.   “Paul Lee’s car is an A-level competitive car and when we went 3.83 in round one, we were feeling pretty spicy and then they go 3.82 and got lane choice, but we knew it didn't matter,” Beckman said.   “These conditions are A-plus-plus, as good as it gets out there. The issue when the track gets as good as the crew chiefs don't have much data on this. We know what to do when the track gets good, but when the track gets great, you can count on one hand, typically, the number of runs a year you get when the track is phenomenal. In all likelihood, all the runs tomorrow are going to be in those type of conditions.”   Prock, who clinched the world title in Pomona last season and set a Funny Car record with 15 No. 1 qualifiers in 2024, went a blistering 3.816-seconds at 338.26 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to take the No. 1 position into raceday for the 20th time in his career. Prock will open eliminations against Blake Alexander as he looks for his first victory of 2025. “Our race car hasn't run bad all year long, it's just things haven't been really going our way like they did last year,” Prock said. “We've been trying to do that all weekend long and just been tickling the thing. I'm really proud of how diligent everybody's been working and making progress each run and just getting it A to B.   “The boys were high-fiving before we even got in the water box, like they knew, it was either going to be hero or zero, and we ended up on the good end of it. I’m really proud of John Force Racing and John Force is so proud right now of the whole team.”   Lee is qualified second with a 3.829 at 331.45 and Ron Capps is third after going 3.830 at 328.94.   In Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon kept Kalitta Motorsports rolling and continued his recent dominance as well, beating teammate Doug Kalitta in the final round with a run of 3.662 at a near-record 338.68 in his 11,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers dragster. It denied Kalitta a chance at a perfect weekend, but Langdon kept rolling along, capturing his second straight Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory.   Langdon also won the event in Phoenix last weekend as the car continues to perform at an extremely high level. The run in the Challenge final was his best of the weekend and puts him third heading into eliminations, while the speed marked the second-fastest run in Top Fuel history. The points leader will now have a chance to double-up for the second straight race in his red-hot early-season start.   “Honestly, it’s a great feeling to come back from the run and see the smile on Connie's [Kalitta] face and see the smiles on the team’s faces. All their hard work, everything's paying off,” Kalitta said. “The cars are running good, which is great. They're responding well to what the crew chiefs have been doing.    “It’s obviously a great feeling when everything's clicking, and the biggest thing now is we got a good, fast, consistent race car. Now it's just a matter of maintaining it and trying to see if we can kick off a couple wins along the way and get ready for the Countdown at the end of the year.”   Brittany Force earned her first top qualifier of the year on the strength of Friday’s 3.646 at 334.82 in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster. She’ll open eliminations against Steve Chrisman as she looks for her first career Winternationals win. She added a 53rd career No. 1 qualifier to her accomplishments on Saturday, but a victory at her home track – and a chance for JFR double-up – would make the weekend even better.   “We've had some really strong performance on track,” Force said. “We earned a No. 1 qualifier. We went 3.64 twice, and then a 3.69 today. We want to turn on four win lights tomorrow. Looking at our ladder, we could have a bye second round, which is awesome for us. I love this place. It's just home for me. I grew up out of here at this racetrack and in the stands. You just have that good feeling coming out here and we want to do well. My whole family's out here, I've had all my friends this weekend, popping in and out, and it's just our home race track, so we want to finish strong.”   Kalitta qualified second with a 3.657 at 335.15.   In Pro Stock, Matt Hartford defeated Greg Anderson in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, going 6.496 at 210.67 in his GETTRX/Total Seal Camaro to get his second win in the specialty race. The first came two years in Pomona as the veteran continued his strong performance at the historic facility. Next up on Hartford’s list is an event win, which would be his first since the 2023 campaign.   “This is as good a car as I’ve ever had. It’s hateful,” Hartford said. “Over the winter, we made a very easy decision to make sure that we continued in our older chassis and to try to reinvent the wheel every run or make changes that we don't know. Let's use facts and work off data.   “A win is the next thing for us, but you’ve got to get through first round and take it one round at a time. When you look at the qualifying sheet, I can promise you of the 16 cars, none of them you want to race first round because they're all good. The conditions tomorrow are going to be hateful. If you think the runs that you've seen over the last four runs were good, wait until tomorrow. The cars are all going to pick up tomorrow.”   Anderson held on to his second No. 1 spot this season, improving to a 6.490 at 210.77 on Saturday in his HendrickCars.com Camaro, handing the defending world champion his 134th career top qualifier. Anderson made two more runs in the 6.40s on Saturday, which could bode well as he se eks his second straight win and his 16th overall at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.   “Running 6.40s seems to be the price of poker out here this weekend,” Anderson said. “You better run 6.40 or you're probably going to go home. Unfortunately, there's a lot of cars that can do it. I think only two of them didn't today, but there's a lot of them that can do it and you're going to see more of it tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it. It should be a hell of a race.   “You kind of need to have a lot of luck because there's too many good cars, too many good drivers and too many good race teams. You better not only have a fast race car, but you also better have some luck.”   Hartford qualified second with a 6.490 at 210.67 and Deric Kramer is third after going 6.511 at 210.80.   Eliminations for the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. (Photo Courtesy NHRA)

(Photo Courtesy NHRA) PRO STOCK FUNNY CAR TOP FUEL

Press Release | NHRA Doug Kalitta claimed the victory in Friday’s Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating Brittany Force in the final round of the bonus race as part of the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. Force (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the third of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. The bonus race was postponed from the NHRA opener in Gainesville and completed Friday in Pomona, as Kalitta went 3.657-seconds at 335.15 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster to power past Force in the championship round of the big-money race. Kalitta, the 2023 world champion, defeated Clay Millican and Antron Brown earlier in the day to reach the finals, adding another special moment at the track where he earned his first world title less than two years ago. “It's been a while since we raced on a Friday, so that was pretty cool and we were super excited for what Right Trailers has done for us with this Callout,” Kalitta said. “We tried to do it in Gainesville, and there’s no better place to bring it than here. I love running this place, but I’m just glad to get by Brittany and Antron and Clay. It was a fun day, for sure. “The guys gave me a great car to be able to run that .65 after watching Brittany run the .64 a couple times. I knew we had that run in us, and I'm glad we were able to do it.” Force went to the top during the first session with a run of 3.646 at 334.82 in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster. On that pass, she made the fastest run to 1/8-mile in NHRA history, going 301.67. If it holds, it would be her 53rd career No. 1 qualifier. Kalitta is currently second and Josh Hart made a big jump to third after going 3.675 at 332.34. "To come right out of the box and put a [3.]64 on the board, and then back that up with another .64 is very outstanding for this Monster Energy team,” Force said. “It's tough when you come into an event and go right into a race without any chance to qualify or make some runs. We went right into it and we were looking to win the thing. Unfortunately, we got beat in the final. It felt like it had cylinders out. “We're off to a good start. We still have a long weekend ahead of us, but we put some good numbers on the board. Winning, that's the ultimate goal. That's why we're here. This is my home track and I'd love to win here. We've been very successful in the past, and with (crew chief) David Grubnic, we come here and we want to win." Just days after a massive explosion and crash in Phoenix, Funny Car’s Ron Capps was back in Pomona, making the quickest run of both sessions, including a run of 3.830 at 328.94 in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra that puts him atop the field as part of a fascinating story. Should that hold, Capps would pick up his first No. 1 qualifier of 2025 and the 38th in his season, but this one would surely be special considering what went down on Sunday in Phoenix. But Capps and his team showed impressive resilience on Friday, making a run in the 3.80s to open qualifying and then going even lower to close out the day. Capps praised the stellar work of his team to get to this point after what went down at Firebird Motorsports Park, hoping it results in an incredible story on Sunday. “I’m pretty beat up and sore and bruised up and just wanted to get back in the car,” Capps said. “I just couldn't wait for today. It could not get here soon enough. No hesitation at all. They pulled me up, and then we fired it and went and before I knew it, I made the run, and they came on the radio and said, ‘You’re the No. 1 qualifier.’ "I've done a lot of media this week, and not for the best reason, but we talked about all week in these interviews about how you respond as a driver. How do you respond? But more so our team, and I've never, never, ever had any doubt. I've bragged about 'NAPA Know How' but it's these guys, man, they've hardly slept.” Defending world champion Austin Prock is second after a run of 3.837 at 333.25 and his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is third with a run of 3.855 at 326.40. In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip continues to treat Pro Stock reigning world champion Greg Anderson very well, as the veteran was the only driver to dip into the 6.40s on Friday with a standout run of 6.495 at 210.01 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It puts him as the quickest Pro Stock qualifier in Winternationals history, while the qualifying field is also the quickest in the race’s iconic history. Anderson, who has qualified first and second at the first two races, respectively, is on track for his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 134th in his career. The last time Anderson was in Pomona was the NHRA Finals in November, where he won a winner-take-all final round against KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. Those two have met in the final round at each of the first two races – with each driver winning a race – and Anderson showed no signs of slowing down on Friday. “There's so many cars that can run fast, and I'm so damn proud of this KB Titan team,” Anderson said. “I've got eight cars out here this weekend, and quite honestly, any one of those eight cars, if they hit it on the target, any run can go to the pole. I've got a small part of that, and probably prouder of that than the fact that my car went to No. 1 because it's hard to do that to make them all run good. “I really feel that we can run 6.48, whether we can get below that 6.480 [track record] or into the .47s I don't know. It's going to take 100 percent nailing it on the starting line and getting that killer 60-foot [elapsed time].” Matt Hartford is currently second with a 6.510 at 209.14 and Aaron Stanfield is third after going 6.515 at 210.28. Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday at the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. (Photo Courtesy NHRA)

Press Release | KALITTA MOTORSPORTS Doug Kalitta won the weather-delayed Right Trailers All-Star Callout with a thrilling final-round race against Brittany Force during qualifying for Sunday’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif. Kalitta was the second seed in the special event originally scheduled for the season-opening race in Gainesville, Fla., but delayed due to rain. To qualify for the Callout, drivers accrue qualifying points all season, and the top-eight drivers start the following season with this special event in which the top seed “calls out” or picks his or her opponent, followed by the second seed and third seed. The driver with the quickest winning elapsed time in the first round calls out the opponent for the semifinals. Kalitta called out Clay Millican at the Gatornationals earlier this month, and Kalitta won with a 3.684-second pass at 333.16 mph and advanced to the semifinals where he faced reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown. Kalitta’s Mac Tools dragster dropped a cylinder almost immediately, but Kalitta was still able to post a 3.736-second effort to move into the final against Force, who made runs of 3.646 and 3.641 seconds in the first two rounds. Kalitta and Force left the starting line together, but Kalitta quickly pulled ahead and never looked back taking the title with a 3.657-second pass at 335.15 mph to Force’s 3.764-second effort at 293.70 mph. Kalitta’s margin of victory was .1072 seconds. “The guys gave me a great car - to be able to run that 65 after watching Brittany run the 64 a couple times was big,” Kalitta said. “I knew we had that run in us, and I'm glad we were able to do it. I’m pretty fortunate for sure to have Alan (Crew Chief Alan Johnson), Mac Tools, Future Energy Solutions, SealMaster, Toyota and all the guys that help us with what we’re doing. “We certainly appreciate everything Right Trailers is doing for NHRA - we tried to run this event in Gainesville, but there’s no better place to bring it to than here (Pomona). I love running this place, and we’re just glad to get by Brittney, Antron and Clay - it was a fun day for sure. It’s been a while since we’ve raced on a Friday, so that was pretty cool with all the guys that were in it. We’re super excited that Right Trailers did what they did for us, and I hope it works out for them for many years for sure.” At the middle point of qualifying, Kalitta is second, and Shawn Langdon is currently 13th. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd is currently eighth with two qualifying rounds remaining. Both Kalitta and Langdon will compete in Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in a rematch of last week’s Phoenix semifinals and finals. (Photo Courtesy Kalitta Motorsports)

Press Release | NHRA In celebration of NHRA’s upcoming 75th anniversary in 2026, officials at In-N-Out Burger and NHRA announced the scheduling of a special Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event on March 12-15, 2026, at historic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. The event, which will be the first time that a Lucas Oil Series event has been held at the legendary track since 2002 and just the second time in more than 50 years, will be billed as the Snyder Family’s Salute to NHRA’s standout Sportsman racers. “The Sportsman racers have been wanting and begging for a divisional race in Pomona for a very long time, so I think I can say – on behalf of all Sportsman competitors – this is a dream come true,” said In-N-Out Burger Owner and President Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, who also races in the Top Sportsman ranks. “I have no doubt the 2026 race will have a high entry attendance and fill up quickly. It is an honor to have my family’s name and legacy associated with it, as In-N-Out Burger and cars have always gone together like burgers and fries. My hope is this divisional race further fuels the passion for drag racing among both racers and loyal NHRA fans.” The Snyder family that owns In-N-Out Burger has been involved in NHRA Drag Racing for decades, dating back to company founder Harry Snyder’s part-ownership of iconic Southern California dragstrip Irwindale Raceway and continuing with his son Guy’s participation as a racer. Snyder-Ellingson, granddaughter of the founder, competes in NHRA’s Top Sportsman class and will participate in a Pomona event expected to draw hundreds of the region’s best Sportsman racers. "Having a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip is absolutely incredible,” Division 7 Director Matt DeYoung said. “Our racers and division crew love this track and the amazing history it holds. The tremendous support of NHRA drag racing from the Snyder family has always been strong, but taking this additional step with a great race like this for the Sportsman racers during our 75th anniversary celebration isn't taken lightly." The exciting announcement of the special event took place Saturday before the third round of qualifying during the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Snyder-Ellingson also received a trophy from Phil Burgess, editor of the NHRA’s National Dragster magazine, celebrating the facility’s selection as “Track of the Year” in last year’s fan voting for the National Dragster All-Star Team. Since In-N-Out Burger became the title sponsor of the iconic Southern California track – as well as the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals to close out the season – to close out 2022, the track has undergone a number of major upgrades and improvements as it continues to celebrate a rich history that includes more than 70 years of racing. "I want to congratulate Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson and the local NHRA team for the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip being awarded Track of the Year. Fairplex is proud to be home of this legendary speedway," said Walter Marquez, President & CEO of Fairplex. "And we are thrilled to see a third event coming to Pomona in 2026, with the Snyder Family’s Salute to NHRA’s standout Sportsman racers. It's a great way to celebrate the track's 65th year of racing as well as NHRA's 75th anniversary." “The Pomona Dragstrip is an iconic track with a long record of legacy moments in drag racing history,” Snyder-Ellingson said. “Drag racing has deep roots in both Southern California and In-N-Out Burger. For seven years starting in 1965, my grandfather Harry was a part-owner of the original Irwindale Raceway. To once again have the In-N-Out name associated with racing in Pomona and have the track recognized as the 2024 National Dragster All-Star Team ‘Track of the Year’ is beyond special to my family and me.” Further details regarding the next year’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in Pomona – as well as the NHRA’s year-long 75th anniversary celebration in 2026 – will be announced in the coming months. For more information on NHRA, including the 2025 schedule, please visit www.NHRA.com. (Photo Courtesy NHRA)

Press Release | JOHN FORCE RACING, GRAHAM RAHAL PERFROMANCE Graham Rahal Performance (GRP) and John Force Racing, a dynasty in American Motorsports, are thrilled to announce a new partnership for the 2025 NHRA Season. At the upcoming NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, hosted at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, for the very first time Graham Rahal Performance will be the primary sponsor on Brittany Force’s Top Fuel Dragster and Jack Beckman’s Funny Car. “When John came to me and spoke of the opportunity to be present on the car, it was extremely intriguing for our company,” said Graham Rahal, President of Graham Rahal Performance. “Our expertise in service, custom fabrication, and our other offerings, align very well with the drag racing community, and we wanted to put that on display. Courtney and I felt strongly that it was in the best interest of our company to partner with John and everyone at John Force Racing, and support both my sister-in-law, Brittany as well as Jack throughout the entire year. We’re excited about the relationship with the team, and for the people in the NHRA community to see what GRP can do for them.” Throughout the remainder of the NHRA Season, Graham Rahal Performance will maintain a Major Associate Sponsorship with John Force Racing. When the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA US Nationals arrive at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, GRP will be showcased on both cars and will also have a presence on-site. “It’s crazy how small the motorsports family really is,” said Cory Watkins, Graham Rahal’s Chief Operating Officer. “I worked with John Force Racing when it had a total of ONE National Event victory. In the John Force Museum, there’s actually a picture of me holding Brittany at the US Nationals 35 years ago. Now, 23 World Championships later, we are reunited at Graham Rahal Performance, the nation’s leader in the sales, service, and aftermarket enhancement of high performance vehicles.” This partnership marks another union between two powerhouse families in the racing industry. “This partnership fires me up,” said John Force, Founder and CEO of John Force Racing. “Graham’s not just family—he’s a racer, a businessman, and someone who lives and breathes performance, just like we do. What he’s building with GRP is incredible, and bringing that energy into our pits with Brittany and Jack just feels right. We’re not just putting a name on the car—we’re bringing two racing families together to push the limits on and off the track.” (Photo Credit: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery)

Press Release | RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING Richard Childress Racing announced today that NASCAR Xfinity Series standout Jesse Love will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 13. Love will pilot the No. 33 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet on the high banks of the Last Great Colosseum. “Racing in the Cup Series has always been my main goal and dream,” said Love. “Everything that I have done up to this point in my career has been building to this moment. To make my Cup Series debut at this age is very special, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to make it with RCR. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms over the last year and the organization feels like family.” Love has quickly climbed the motorsports ranks and continues to add to an impressive resume. During his Xfinity Series rookie campaign in 2024, the 20-year-old claimed his first series win, a series-leading five poles, and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. Love became the youngest champion in NASCAR history by clinching his first ARCA Menards Series West title at the age of 16 in 2020. The Menlo Park, California native then posted a dominating performance by winning half the races and the championship in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season. Earning his first Xfinity Series victory of 2025, Love captured the checkered flag in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway and has already locked his team into the Playoffs. “I’m excited to have Jesse make his Cup Series debut in the No. 33 Chevrolet,” said Richard Childress, chairman and chief executive officer of RCR. “From the moment I started watching Jesse race, I knew that he had the talent. He has the passion for wanting to win and doing the best possible for his team. To be a great driver, you have to have passion behind the wheel and Jesse has that. We’ve seen him develop over the last year since he joined RCR, and I look forward to helping him compete at the highest level of our sport.” Nutrabolt, owner of C4®, is the No. 1 selling global pre-workout brand and one of the fastest growing energy drink companies in the country. Making its C4 Ultimate Energy product line-up more delicious and even cooler, Nutrabolt recently introduced the Frost collection – a product extension available in three flavors that will also unveil a unique can technology that transitions from silver to blue when the can is cold and ready to drink. The green flag for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway will wave at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 13. Watch live television coverage on FS1 and listen to flag-to-flag coverage on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. For more information, please visit rcrracing.com. (Photo Courtesy NASCAR)

Press Release | BEARD MOTORSPORTS The team of Beard Motorsports, partner Fortify Building Solutions, and driver Anthony Alfredo will make their collective return to the racetrack when the NASCAR Cup Series hits the mammoth 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway oval on April 27 for the Jack Link’s 500. It will mark the 31st appearance for the team, which made its Cup Series debut in 2017 under the leadership of the late Mark Beard Sr., and continues under the ownership of Linda Beard, with her children Amie Beard-Deja and Mark Beard Jr. overseeing daily operations. Beard Motorsports kicked off its ninth season of participation in select Cup Series events last month at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, where Alfredo and the No. 62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevrolet fell just short of the team’s seventh Daytona 500 appearance as the second-highest finisher among the open teams in the second Duel at the Daytona qualifying race. The Fortify Building Solutions brand – part of the Cornerstone Building Brands family of exterior building product brands – will use the Jack Link’s 500 NASCAR Cup Series Race to highlight Hypersteel™ cold-formed buildings. This product line of simple metal buildings offers the quickest design and production turnaround in their building solutions lineup. “We share a heightened commitment with the Beard family to community, perseverance and, well, speed,” said Heather Hollis, vice president of marketing at Cornerstone Building Brands. “Showcasing Hypersteel cold-formed buildings on the No. 62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevrolet helps us share an exciting story about how customers can get a new customized metal building faster and easier. Our partnership with Anthony Alfredo underscores our dedication to speed and endurance.” Alfredo returns to the cockpit for his 42nd career Cup Series outing and fifth tour of duty for Beard Motorsports. In this race a year ago, the native of Ridgefield, Connecticut who turns 26 on March 31, qualified 24th and rallied for a sixth-place finish, leading four laps along the way. It was the team’s best finish in 13 Cup Series starts at Talladega, eclipsing Brendan Gaughan’s eighth-place finish in the Beard Motorsports Chevrolet in the April 2019 GEICO 500. “We’ll head to Talladega feeling like there is some unfinished business to take care of in more ways than one,” said Beard-Deja, executive vice president of Beard Motorsports. “Despite the incredible preparation that is the hallmark of this team, beginning with our crew chief Darren Shaw, things just didn’t go our way at Daytona this time, and that’s the way it goes in this highly competitive arena, particularly for a small, single-car, open team. It’s certainly disappointing, but it only strengthens our resolve as we prepare for Talladega. Anthony and the team did a remarkable job there last spring, and we’ll look to improve on that this time around.” Beard-Deja added, “We welcome Anthony back for his fifth race with the team, and we are thrilled to have Fortify Building Solutions and Cornerstone Building Brands back with us for the third time after making their debut on the No. 62 Chevrolet at Talladega last fall. We are pulling out all the stops to deliver a top result.” Alfredo’s sixth-place finish at Talladega in the No. 62 Beard Motorsports Chevrolet last spring was not only the team’s best at the track, it was his career best in 41 Cup Series starts. He returned with the team to Talladega last October for a 24th-place finish in his fourth career Cup Series start at the track. His first two, in the April and October 2021 races for Front Row Motorsports, resulted in finishes of 12th and 10th, respectively. Alfredo has seven Talladega starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he’s driving fulltime this season for Young’s Motorsports. Best of those was his third-place finish last April, the day before his sixth-place Cup Series finish in the Beard Motorsports Chevrolet. Alfredo’s lone NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Talladega resulted in a 15th-place finish in the October 2019 race for David Gilliland Racing. “I echo Amie’s sentiments when I say we definitely have some unfinished business next month at Talladega,” Alfredo said. “We went to Daytona feeling very confident after making the 500 on qualifying speed last year. We executed flawlessly during our Duel, had an awesome, green-flag pit stop, but we were outnumbered with the lack of drafting opportunities with other Chevrolets. “I feel thankful to be back at Talladega with the Beard family and Fortify Building Solutions. I’m excited to push for a result even better than our sixth-place finish last year, showcasing the Hypersteel product and our shared commitment to being hyper fast.” (Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Press Release | NASCAR Girl Tribe Co., a local Charlotte women-owned business, is teaming up with America’s No.1 motorsport for the first time to launch an exclusive apparel collection. The collection will feature nine distinctive styles, blending fashionable, race-inspired pieces that capture the spirit of NASCAR while honoring the empowerment of women. Debuting today, Friday, March 28, the collection will be available for purchase at the Girl Tribe Co. store located in South End, Charlotte, as well as NASCARShop.com and GirlTribeCo.com. “Partnering with Girl Tribe Co. allows us to bring a unique and innovative collection to new and longtime NASCAR fans alike,” said Megan Malayter, vice president licensing and consumer products at NASCAR. “This collection blends the spirit of motorsports while celebrating and empowering women, and we’re excited to see how fans embrace it both at the track and beyond.” Founded in 2014 by Charlotte natives and high school best friends Carrie Barker and Sarah Baucom, Girl Tribe Co. is a women positive graphic apparel brand designed to connect and celebrate women. Built on passion for supporting and uplifting women, the company was created by besties, for besties – a place where women can connect, shop, and feel empowered. “This will be our first launch for the Girl Tribe Co x NASCAR collection, and we cannot wait to see which products resonate with the fans, as their feedback will guide us in developing future collections and understanding how customers interact with our line,” said Girl Tribe Co. co-founder Sarah Baucom. “Growing up in Charlotte, NASCAR has always been synonymous with Sunday Fundays at the track. We are thrilled to bring our aesthetic into this sport!” “Social media has helped women curate cute outfits to cheer on their favorite driver at the track, and we’re eager to bring more options for officially licensed wearable women’s NASCAR apparel to the market,” she added. To shop the collection, visit GirlTribeCo.com and NASCARShop.com. (Photo Courtesy NASCAR)