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Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images By Adam Carabine A look at the Top Ten in our weekly Power Rankings, plus the biggest movers! While finishing position is important, it’s not always indicative of the full picture.  StatChat rankings are determined using a large number of statistical inputs, with an emphasis placed on the most recent 5 races.   Austin Cindric – This week: 10 – Last week: 11 While Cindric is certainly riding high off of an impressive first two weeks, he rallies back into the Top 10 this week.  His finishes over the last couple of races haven’t been fantastic, but his underlying numbers show he’s improved since last year, at least so far.   Chase Elliott – This week: 9 – Last week: 7 It didn’t seem like Elliott was discussed much on the TV broadcast this weekend at Phoenix, but he earned some stage points, brought it home P10, and finished on the lead lap.  Not enough to stay in 7th from the week before, but he stays inside our Top 10.    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – This week: 8 – Last week: 5 Another surprise like Cindric, he may be buoyed here by some great numbers at the first two races of the season – both of which are drafting tracks, which he excels at.  He’s sliding and unless he puts up a stellar weekend in Vegas, we probably won’t be discussing him again until Talladega.   Joey Logano – This week: 7 – Last week: 9 Logano had a good run at Phoenix, partially in response to a difficult penalty.  After the restart violation put him in the back of the pack, he and his team opted for the option tire, which helped him lead 81 laps.  He managed a P13 after all was said and done.   Alex Bowman – This week: 6 – Last week: 8 It seems like Bowman is always quiet, but he had a good race at Phoenix.  Finishing P7 after running around 15th or so the whole day means that he kicked into gear when it counted and got a solid result.    Tyler Reddick – This week: 5 – Last week: 6 Plagued by power steering issues, Reddick’s finish at Phoenix looks worse than his day.  His average running position for the day was 6th, and though he surprisingly led 0 laps, he looked like he was in contention earlier on when his car was behaving.   Ryan Blaney – This week: 4 – Last week: 3 Blaney called his shot, unfortunately.  Early on in the Phoenix race he said he was worried his car was going to blow up, and he was right – albeit not until quite a bit later.  Despite the DNF, he had the most quality passes (green flag passes in the Top 15) of anyone in the field, and earned 13 stage points.   Kyle Busch – This week: 3 – Last week: 1 Busch was probably just outside of the true contending window at Phoenix, but he still had a solid day.  P8, near the top of Quality Pass metrics – an entirely inoffensive day.  He’d probably like some more top-end speed to compete with the real contenders, but it was a nice day to follow up on his COTA heartbreak.   William Byron – This week: 2 – Last week: 4 Byron scored the most stage points of anyone at Phoenix (18), led 83 laps, and ran in the Top 5 all day long.  He finished P6, which I’m sure he’d like to have back, but it was a solid points day for the Hendrick No. 24.   Christopher Bell – This week: 1 – Last week: 2 Three wins in a row, and he’s not even done yet.  He clearly had the best car at Phoenix – he led 105 laps, and his average running position was 3rd.  His crew chief warned the world that they had Phoenix and Vegas circled on their calendars after winning at COTA.  Watch out for him next weekend too.   Biggest Movers   Carson Hocevar – This week: 24 – Last week: 13 Falls 11 places   Ryan Preece – This week: 15 – Last week: 24 Gains 9 places   Rest of the List      11. John Hunter Nemechek LW: 14 12. Kyle Larson                          LW: 18 13. Denny Hamlin                      LW: 19 14. Michael McDowell              LW: 15 15. Ryan Preece                         LW: 24 16. Bubba Wallace                    LW: 12 17. Todd Gilliland                      LW: 20 18. Chris Buescher                   LW: 22 19. Shane Van Gisbergen     LW: 10 20. Ross Chastain                      LW: 25 21. Erik Jones                            LW: 21 22. Chase Briscoe                    LW: 16 23. Josh Berry                           LW: 31 24. Carson Hocevar                LW: 13 25. Riley Herbst                        LW: 17 26. Ty Dillon                               LW: 29 27. Noah Gragson                    LW: 28 28. Ty Gibbs                              LW: 30 29. Zane Smith                           LW: 35 30. Daniel Suarez                      LW: 33 31. Austin Dillon                        LW: 32 32. Justin Haley                         LW: 23 33. Cody Ware                           LW: 34 34. AJ Allmendinger                 LW: 36 35. Brad Keselowski                 LW: 26 36. Cole Custer                          LW: 27

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images By Adam Carabine & Logan Morris Logan Morris:  Hey Adam, here we are again. It's another week and another victory for Christopher Bell. He, of course, is the story, but much was made about the option tire. The race featured a very solid finish. However, we’re singing the same tune, ring ring goes the Bell for the third straight week!  Adam Carabine: Hello again Logan, good to meet you back here at the Post Race Inspection! To be honest, I’m not sure we should be as surprised to see Bell back in victory lane for the third time in a row.  He has been the most consistent and had the best car week in and week out, and Phoenix is a track he’s had success at before.  It’s still hard to believe, though, because of the parity of this league at the moment.  Let’s circle back (see what I did there?) to the option tire later, talk to me about Bell. Is he going to make it four in a row? LM: It’s extremely difficult for me to believe that he’ll pull off four in a row next week. Why? Well, you mentioned it - the parity. There’s more of it than ever in 2025. So, for someone to pull off three in a row is incredible. Four in a row? That would be astonishing. Remember, these crews are working all week, and they’re the best in the world at what they do. Could Bell win? Absolutely. But, guys like Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and William Byron feel like the early favorites for me. Do you think Bell pulls it off? AC: I’m less bullish on his chances at Vegas than I was with Phoenix.  Vegas is not his best track - he actually has the 12th best average finish there of all Cup drivers (17.40).  And while previous average finish at a track isn’t necessarily the only way to measure your potential, it does give you an idea of whether there’s a pattern here.  Bell has never won at Vegas, and there’s some really strong competition for him.   But let’s also be honest, the intangible here is momentum. Bell clearly has the momentum on his side, and is there anything more powerful than that?  Even if the only effect it has is to demoralize the rest of the field, it counts.  If I had to put money on it, I’d say he doesn’t win a fourth in a row, but I’m willing to come back here next week and eat my words. Let’s talk option tire.  I personally loved it.  What are your thoughts? LM: Overall, I loved it. I am very much pro anything that adds another layer of strategy to the race. For the most part, I like the stages, but one of the things that stage racing has hurt  is the strategy aspect of races. The option tire brought that back in the big way.  We saw drivers putting their chips on the table all race long.  Look no further than Ty Dillon - when was the last time we saw him run up front like that?  Quite frankly, outside of a superspeedway, I’m not sure we ever have. It gave guys like him a boost, but not to the point that it hurt the purity of the racing, if that makes sense? Christopher Bell was the cream of the crop no matter the tire strategy. I thought it added a new wrinkle, without becoming some sort of gimmick or quick fix for struggling teams. I hope we see it back soon! AC: I agree with you wholeheartedly, which is rare! At some of these shorter tracks, the Next-Gen car has made it harder to pass, and so giving teams a different way to make passes on the track was fun, especially for the traditionally less-exciting middle sections of the race.  When you’ve got Ryan Preece leading 34 laps on a differing tire strategy from the regular leaders, that’s exciting.  The gamble didn’t necessarily pay off for Preece, as he wound up finishing P15, but it was more fun than him staying 15th for the entire race. I loved the strategy differences, and also the fact that all of the teams were essentially coming in blind.  I said this about COTA way back when, too - I liked that none of the teams really knew what to expect about the new shortened layout.  When you have the lower funded teams against the Hendricks of the world, preparation is a hard place to get an advantage.  When all of the teams are experimenting on the fly, like they were with the option tire this past weekend, it levels out the playing field, and the fans who watch are the winners. LM: We agree again! Sometimes NASCAR can become a little cookie-cutter and from a viewer's perspective it can occasionally feel like it becomes almost routine and even mundane. There was none of that this week. The added layer had everyone playing a new form of chess and as you said, the fans won because of it.  AC: I know there aren’t any immediate plans to get the option tire back, but I’d be curious to see it at a mile-and-a-half, or maybe even a road course.  Let’s see what sort of havoc that might throw at these teams.   If I had to nitpick, I’d say that the FOX booth could have done a better job explaining who was on which tire, or figuring out a better graphic way to show the differing strategies.  It seemed to get both Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer tongue-tied at multiple times throughout the broadcast, but I suppose they need a little time to adapt to it as well. Anyway - let’s move on to our weekly awards! Best Performer LM: For best performer, I typically avoid the obvious answer, but Christopher Bell is a must-pick. He was the best car top to bottom, flag to flag, any way you slice it. AC: I would agree with you on Bell, but just to be different I’ll pick someone else.  Josh Berry had a heck of a day, bringing the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse home 4th.  Known as being somewhat of a short-track ringer, Berry had a quiet day, but rode around in the Top 10 all day, and pushed forward to earn his first Top 5 of the year.  It also just so happened to be his first Top-25 of the year - so I’m sure he’s hoping it’s a good turnaround for a slow start. Biggest Move of the Race LM:  My biggest move of the race has to be the race finish, Bell, Hamlin, and Larson all had a legitimate chance and in an era where there’s far more “taking” than there is “giving” on the track, they all put on a masterclass of hard racing without going too far. My hat is off to all three of them. What a sequence, and what a finish.  AC: Solid choice, it really was a thrilling finish to a great race! For me the move of the race was Alex Bowman narrowly missing a spinning Katherine Legge.  The FOX booth actually initially reported a bit of damage for Bowman, it was so close.  But upon looking at the replay there was no contact.  Saving it there helped Bowman finish with a P7, rather than a DNF. LM: Alex Bowman had to be nimble. No question.   AC: He might’ve been able to jump over a candlestick!  Biggest Disappointment LM: My biggest disappointment has to be Chase Briscoe. Another rough day, during what has been a trying start to the season. We talked about momentum earlier. I thought the overturning of his penalty would give him some good mojo going into a track he’s won at. It wasn’t to be. He seems to find himself in a tough position to start 2025.  AC: No doubt there will be some growing pains at JGR for Chase Briscoe, hopefully it doesn’t take long for him to get used to the new team.   For me, the biggest disappointment was Katherine Legge.  I hate to say it, because I love the idea of having more females in the sport.  I think the more diverse the field, the better the product is for the viewing audience.  At COTA, I heard Daniel Suarez talk about what it’s like for young kids growing up in Mexico, seeing someone that looks like them driving in NASCAR’s premiere series.  This is important stuff. However, Katherine Legge jumping into a somewhat last-minute deal with Live Fast Racing - aka BJ McLeod’s sometimes-Cup Series team - was not the slam dunk I had hoped it would be.   It’s a tough spot for Legge to be in, where she’s never driven a Next-Gen Cup car before, and she’s in likely the worst equipment of anyone on the track.  I wasn’t disappointed in her performance - I think she did the best she could given the circumstances.  I would have liked to have seen her given a real shot with decent equipment, rather than this. What to Watch for Next Weekend LM: I don’t disagree with anything you said. Hopefully, she’ll get another opportunity soon. The story of this upcoming weekend at Vegas will undoubtedly be the question of Christopher Bell winning four in a row. I’m going to say the streak ends next week. The other thing I’m curious about is will this be the week Ford breaks through and finds themselves in victory lane? Joey Logano? Ryan Blaney? Brad K? All have had success at this track over the years.  If Ford doesn’t get it done this week, we will have to wonder if we’re experiencing deja vu.  AC: I’m not ready to hit the panic button on the Fords just yet, but both Phoenix and Vegas are traditionally Ford-forward tracks.  I also agree with you, Bell does not win a fourth in a row, but I’m going to say he goes out with something random like a mechanical failure. Joey Logano seems to be the one to beat at Vegas - he’s the winningest current Cup driver there with four wins.  But if the Fords don’t show up, don’t sleep on Kyle Larson.   This weekend will be the first ‘normal’ mile-and-a-half track.  No option tire, no gimmicks, just pure racing.  I’m looking forward to it!  We’ll catch up next week to break it down, thanks again Logan! LM: Always a pleasure, Adam! Let’s see who challenges Wayne Newton for the title of Mr. Las Vegas!

Photo from www.x.com/F1 By Ryan Wu With pre-season testing complete we are now just under a week away from the season opener in Melbourne, Australia where we will see the cars at their true ability with the high speeds seen at Albert Park Circuit. Pre-Season Testing Recap At this stage of the season, teams are essentially playing a game of smoke and mirrors to conceal the true capabilities of their cars. As a result, it's best to take the results with a grain of salt. Teams use this period to experiment with different setups and frequently adjust engine modes to avoid revealing too much to their competitors. This is a valuable opportunity for the six rookies to get their first real experience with the cars, as well as for drivers who have switched teams—such as Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz—to familiarize themselves with this year’s machinery. This period is crucial since testing of current car iterations is limited. Drivers can only cover up to 1,000 km in "previous cars," which are defined as models that are between two and four years old. Testing Results Mercedes led the testing period with 458 laps completed while Red Bull only managed 304 laps over the 3-day testing period. In terms of overall lap time leaders Carlos Sainz set the fastest lap of the testing period with a 1m 29.348s in the Williams while Stake was the slowest at 1m 31.057s when Gabriel Bortoleto was behind the wheel. A full breakdown of the teams and their fastest lap time and the driver that completed it can be found below: ●      Williams : 1:29.348 - Carlos Sainz ●      Ferrari : 1:29.379 - Lewis Hamilton ●      Mercedes : 1:29.545 - George Russell ●      Red Bull : 1:29.566 - Max Verstappen ●      McLaren : 1:29.940 - Oscar Piastri ●      Alpine : 1:30.040 - Pierre Gasly ●      Aston Martin : 1:30.229 - Lance Stroll ●      Racing Bulls : 1:30.497 - Yuki Tsudona ●      Haas : 1:30.728 - Esteban Ocon ●      Sauber : 1:31.057 - Gabriel Bortoleto In addition, differences in 2025 vs 2024 testing can be found below: ●      Alpine: -2.021s ●      Williams: -1.636s ●      Red Bull: -1.113s ●      McLaren: -1.090s ●      Haas: -0.958s ●      Aston Martin: -0.930s ●      Mercedes: -0.823s ●      Ferrari: -0.548s ●      Stake: -0.410s ●      Racing Bulls: -0.278s

Press Release | REAUME BROTHERS RACING AJ Waller has signed with Reaume Brothers Racing to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2025. The Istachatta, FL native will pilot the No. 22 Ford F-150 at Martinsville Speedway later this March. Waller’s passion for racing began at the young age of four when he was introduced to go-kart racing. By fourteen, he had moved up to stock cars, and in 2019, he competed in both the Pure Stock and Street Stock divisions, finishing 8th and 3rd in points, respectively. His strong performance that season earned him Rookie of the Year honors. Entering 2020, Waller set his sights on continued success, but his journey took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in April. His racing career came to an abrupt halt as he underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Despite the grueling battle ahead, Waller never lost sight of his love for racing. In January 2022, after years of perseverance, he rang the victory bell—cancer-free—and returned to the driver’s seat. Transitioning to Late Models across the Southeast, Waller continued his momentum, capturing another Rookie of the Year title at Citrus County Speedway. Now, he is ready to take the next step on the national stage. “I’ve fought for this moment both on and off the track, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity with Reaume Brothers Racing,” said Waller. “Martinsville is a track full of history, and I’m ready to make the most of this incredible opportunity.” Team owner Josh Reaume is eager for Waller’s debut and optimistic about his performance at the historic half-mile track. “We’re excited to welcome AJ to our team. His resilience, determination, and passion for racing are truly inspiring. To see him overcome so much and now have the opportunity to make his NASCAR Truck Series debut is nothing short of incredible. AJ embodies the heart of a racer, and we’re excited to see what he can do behind the wheel. This is just the beginning of an amazing journey.” AJ Waller takes the national stage at Martinsville Speedway for 200 laps on Friday, March 28th, at 7:30 PM ET on FS1. (Photo Credit: x.com/ RBR_Teams )

(Photo Courtesy NASCAR) NASCAR remains committed to bringing stock car racing back to Southern California but has no firm timeline or location yet. West Region President Dave Allen emphasized the market’s importance but said internal factors need to be resolved before making strategic decisions. While a half-mile oval at the former Auto Club Speedway remains the preferred option, progress is currently stalled, and plans are in a holding pattern. NASCAR still retains 90 acres of the site, including key infrastructure, but is weighing its next steps. Let us know if you’d like to see Auto Club return as a short track, and stay tuned for more updates! Click Here to View Post

Press Release | TEAM AMERIVET Team AmeriVet is set to make its highly anticipated return to the track on March 30, 2025, in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Burt Myers will once again take the wheel of the #50 Team AmeriVet Chevrolet, bringing his short track experience to the team. This event marks a continuation of Team AmeriVet’s mission to support America’s veterans both on and off the track. The team’s 50 Vets a Week program will be in full force, with the support of great partners, the team will relieve $250,000 in veteran debt during the Martinsville race weekend. Backing Team AmeriVet for this event is C3 Skids, a leader in the pressure washing, pest control, and Industrial Spray Equipment industry. With locations in Daytona Beach, FL and Concord, NC, C3 Skids provides top-tier equipment, chemicals, and education with 100% financing available. Their dedicated team of knowledgeable professionals ensures customers receive the best solutions tailored to their budget and needs. “We’re thrilled to partner with Team AmeriVet and support their incredible work in the veteran community,” said Casey Caudill, CEO of C3 Skids. “Our commitment to customer service and innovation aligns perfectly with the values of Team AmeriVet, and we look forward to an exciting race at Martinsville.” Driver Burt Myers: “I am super excited to get another chance at competing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Martinsville is one of the most historic tracks in racing and means a lot to my family. Special thanks to Team AmeriVet and C3 Skids for giving me this opportunity.” Team AmeriVet continues its 2025 campaign with the support of partners like C3 Skids, ForgiveCo, AmeriVet Securities, Chevrolet, Citrusafe Cleaners, and ECR Engines. The team remains focused on building performance on the track while making a meaningful impact in the lives of veterans. There are still associate sponsorship spots available for March 30th. Please email joinourmission@teamamerivet.com to see how your brand can support our campaign. For more information about Team AmeriVet and their mission, visit teamamerivet.com. To learn more about C3 Skids and their industry-leading products and services, visit C3skids.com . (Photo Courtesy Team AmeriVet)

Credit: Cadillac By Ryan Wu Starting in 2026, for the first time in a decade, a brand-new team will join the grid: Cadillac. The team is backed by General Motors in collaboration with TWG Global (owned by Mark Walters, who is also a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chelsea F.C. of the English Premier League), who purchased Andretti Global back in November of 2024. Michael Andretti will be an advisor to the team while his father Mario will be serving on the board of directors, the latter of which won the F1 driver’s championship with Lotus-Ford back in 1978. Racing Refresh breaks down what is currently known about the team, including key figures who have been hired. Cadillac has already appointed Graeme Lowdon as team principal. Lowdon is no stranger to Formula 1, having served as CEO of the Virgin Racing team, backed by Richard Branson, from 2010–2011, and later leading the Marussia team from 2012–2015. Nick Chester will take on the role of technical director. Previously, he served as engineering director at Lotus (formerly Renault, now Alpine) in 2012, where Kimi Räikkönen secured two victories—one at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and another at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix. John McQuilliam has been appointed as chief designer. He brings experience from working with Williams, Arrows, and Jordan F1 teams. Recent History of New Teams Joining the Grid Having paid $450 million to join the grid, Cadillac faces a challenging road ahead if history is any indication. Unlike expansion teams in stick-and-ball leagues which can select unwanted players from other teams, a brand-new Formula 1 works team must overcome the immense engineering challenge of building a competitive car from scratch. Immediate success will be difficult to achieve. The most recent example of a new team joining F1 is Haas in 2016. Their debut season with Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez resulted in an eighth-place finish in the Constructors’ Championship, scoring 29 points across 21 races but failing to secure any podiums or wins. In 2010, three now-defunct teams joined the grid: HRT, Virgin Racing, and Lotus-Renault (not to be confused with the Renault team that later became Alpine—this Lotus team eventually rebranded as Caterham under a Malaysian license). None of the three teams achieved a victory, and their success varied. HRT lasted only three seasons, folding after 2012. They consistently finished 11th or 12th (out of 12 teams) in the Constructors’ standings. Virgin Racing finished last in 2010 and 2011 before rebranding as Marussia in 2012, then Manor Racing in 2016, their final season. Across seven seasons, the team scored just five points before ultimately disbanding. Lotus, later Caterham, finished 10th in their first two seasons before placing last from 2012 to 2014. The team ultimately folded after 2014. These past struggles highlight the uphill battle Cadillac will face as they prepare to enter the sport in 2026. Expectations for Cadillac Some context is necessary for the previously mentioned three teams. They joined F1 at a time where there was no regulated cost cap and spending from top teams could be rampant and be without repercussions. Cadillac will be joining the sport at a time where costs of car development are highly scrutinized and teams lower on the grid will be allotted greater wind tunnel and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) times compared to teams higher up in the standings. Moreover, Andretti Global/General Motors have extensive experience in motorsport with the former teams having won six Indy 500 races and a total of 19 drivers championships across various disciplines such as IndyCar and Formula E. General Motors has also been heavily involved in NASCAR and IndyCar and with Chevrolet. Chevrolet is the winningest brand, having won 40 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer's championships, including 800 wins, and also with Pontiac and Buick also having wins. With the rules in place, one can hope that the days of entering teams being the doormats of the grid are a relic of the past. No one’s expecting Cadillac to win the 2026 championship but with a brand new set of regulations plus the cost cap, but it would not be a surprise if they were to score points and bring new competition to the midfield. The Engine The approval of an 11th team was granted under the expectation that General Motors would eventually become an engine supplier in Formula 1. For the 2026 and 2027 seasons, however, Cadillac has an agreement to use Ferrari engines and gearboxes. Meanwhile, plans are underway to establish a 204,000-square-foot power unit facility near Charlotte, North Carolina, with the goal of developing their own F1 engines. Initially targeted for 2028, this timeline has recently shifted to a more vague "end of the decade." Nonetheless, this marks an exciting development in engine manufacturing, especially as the 2026 season will introduce a reshaped power unit landscape. With Alpine/Renault exiting as an engine supplier, several new and returning partnerships will emerge: ●      Ford will collaborate with Red Bull ●      Audi will enter as a works team through their takeover of Stake ●      Honda will partner with Aston Martin ●      Ferrari and Mercedes will continue as established suppliers Potential Drivers Key figures within the team, including Mario Andretti, have repeatedly emphasized the importance of Cadillac fielding an American driver in Formula 1. One of the most frequently mentioned candidates is Colton Herta, a 24-year-old Californian currently competing for Andretti Motorsport in IndyCar. With 9 wins, 8 podiums, and 14 pole positions across 100 races, Herta has proven himself a formidable talent and could be a prime contender for a seat. Another name to watch is Jak Crawford, an American driver who currently serves as a reserve for both Aston Martin and the Andretti Formula E team. His presence in the F1 ecosystem makes him a viable option for Cadillac’s lineup. However, it would be a surprise to see two rookies on the team. To balance experience with youth, Cadillac could look to Valtteri Bottas, who is currently a reserve driver for Mercedes. A seasoned race winner, Bottas has taken on a mentorship role for Andrea Kimi Antonelli and could provide valuable leadership alongside a young American driver like Herta or Crawford. His experience would be a major asset for a brand-new team navigating its early seasons in the sport.

(Photo Courtesy NHRA) PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE PRO STOCK FUNNY CAR TOP FUEL

Press Release | NHRA Defending Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown kicked off the 2025 NHRA season with a victory on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway, defeating defending event winner Shawn Langdon in the final round of the 56th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Chad Green (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the first of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.   Brown went 3.673-seconds at 333.99 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools dragster to slip past Langdon’s 3.684 at 332.67, as the four-time world champion won for the 81st time in his career. Brown, who qualified No. 1, defeated Krista Baldwin, Clay Millican and Steve Torrence to reach the final round before picking up his second career win at Gainesville Raceway.   That gives Brown, who posted reaction times of .032 and .036 in the semifinals and finals, respectively, eight straight round wins dating back to last season as the year started in perfect fashion for the longtime star.   “It’s tough to go against Shawn Langdon and [crew chief] Brian Husen,” Brown said. “They always have the performance. Actually, there are a lot of cars out here that did their homework, put the work in, and can run mid-to-low 3.6s. Brian [Corradi, crew chief] and my guys were just adamant that we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot.   “We dug deep to make a run like that and set low E.T. says a lot about our team. We just stayed cool until the track came around. You’ve got to put it up there when you’re racing these guys. These drivers in Top Fuel are just incredible this year. We kept on digging deep after winning a championship and that’s a tribute to these guys.”   Landgon, who won in Gainesville a year ago, drove past Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart and Jasmine Salinas to reach the final round for the 46th time in his career.   Chad Green opened his 2025 Funny Car season in standout fashion, going 3.921 at 329.18 in his 11,000-horsepower Bond-Coat Ford Mustang to roll past Ron Capps and earn his first career Gatornationals win. This will be one Green surely remembers, as Green went 3.922 and 3.921 in back-to-back rounds to claim his second career victory.   He defeated Paul Lee, Buddy Hull and Matt Hagan to reach the final round, posting a series of consistent runs to get past a loaded Funny Car class. Green will now leave Gainesville Raceway with the points lead for the first time in his career and also plenty of momentum after a magical performance on Sunday.   “This race is so special, I mean it's the Gators,” Green said. “There are so many historical things that have happened at this race for so many years and I was saying in my [top end] interview that my very first race down the racetrack in an official race car was here at this track, so yeah, it means a lot to me.   “I've always said it's so important to start off the year off and do well at the first race or else you’re behind the eight ball. This just takes the cake right here. To start off No. 1 in points, that really awesome. I’m just so excited.”   Capps, who is seeking his first win since the 2023 season, advanced to his 148th career final round with victories against John Smith, Bobby Bode and Alexis DeJoria.   In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn extracted some bit of revenge on his KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, defeating the reigning world champion to open the 2025 season with a run of 6.549 at 211.13 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It is Glenn’s 14th career win and second at Gainesville (2022) and helped make up for Anderson picking up the win at a winner-take-all final round with the championship on the line last November at the NHRA Finals in Pomona.   Glenn defeated Brandon Miller, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Cory Reed to advance to the finals and rolled to the win against Anderson, who ran into trouble right off the starting line. It was Glenn’s first win in five final-round matchups with Anderson, a strong sign the young phenom could be in for a big season.   “I’m thankful because there were a few rounds where I felt like I didn’t have the best car but we picked away at it,” Glenn said. “In the final I was looking to throw one down but it shook a little in low gear. I think we had more in it. It’s nice to get one back from Greg but I’m more impressed by our KB Titan team. We had the top four spots in qualifying and almost put four cars in the semis. Cory Reed was a handful today and he’s going to be tough all year. It won’t be long before he’s sitting up here doing a winner’s interview.    “I’ve now made a lot of runs in the car and I know I can beat Greg, but you have to do your job to perfection. It’s hard to do, but I know I can beat him. When we race, I just try to be me, and stick with my normal routine.”   Anderson, who qualified No. 1 with a world-record run of 6.443, picked up his 183rd final-round appearance with victories against Chris McGaha, Derrick Reese and Jeg Coughlin Jr.   There appears to be no stopping Gaige Herrera at Gainesville Raceway, as the back-to-back defending world champion remained unbeaten at the historic facility, picking up his third straight Gatornationals victory with a run of 6.722 at 200.23 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat rival Matt Smith.   It’s Herrera’s 22nd win since the start of the 2023 campaign, an incredible run that started with his first career win in Gainesville. He knocked off Geno Scali, Kelly Clontz and Chase Van Sant to reach the final round, leaving first against Smith and picking up the victory. He also matches Eddie Krawiec as the only riders to win three straight Pro Stock Motorcycle races at Gainesville Raceway.   “This was a good day for me and a great day for Vance & Hines,” Herrera said. “We got here early this morning and had to sit through hours and I was like, ‘Let’s get on with it.’ Otherwise, my bike was deadly consistent. We made three straight runs that were 6.76 and I’m amazed that Andrew [Hines] can do that. In the final, we knew we needed more so we threw everything at it. I thought we’d run better but I didn’t expect a 6.72. I’m a neutral person and Matt [Smith] and I are cordial, but he does have a bit rivalry with Vance & Hines and I think it’s good for the class.”   Smith went 6.723 at 203.19 in the final round, advancing to the championship round for the 82nd time in his career. Earlier in the day, the six-time world champion knocked off Lance Bonham, John Hall and his wife, Angie.   The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action March 21-23 with the 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix. (Photo Courtesy NHRA)

Press Release | SCAG RACING The 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season officially kicked off this weekend with the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Daniel Wilkerson, driver of the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car and Justin Ashley who pilots the SCAG Toyota Top Fuel dragster each had first round exits while Dave Richards and the BlueBird / Versatran team fell victim to Mother Nature’s rain out of Saturday qualifying. Wilkerson and his SCAG Mustang secured the No. 5 qualifying spot after a 3.901-second pass at 325.45 mph on Friday. Their efforts matched them with No. 12 qualifier Buddy Hull in the first round. Wilkerson would leave the starting line first but both Funny Cars would have tire smoke forcing the drivers to pedal their way to the finish line. Hull would get there first with a 4.048 elapsed time at 313.37 to defeat Wilkerson’s 4.177 at 322.88. “You know, first off, I hate losing. I hate losing for SCAG, hate losing for Ford, hate losing for Summit and I really hate losing for all my guys that have worked their butts off especially after I wrecked a car in testing, but, I haven’t had that much fun driving a race car in my entire life. That thing shook its balls off. When it did, I eased up just a little bit like [crew chief] Tim [Wilkerson] told me to and I stood back on it and it was sliding around all over the place, it was actually kind of badass. But we’re never going to do that again because we’re going to start winning rounds instead.” Ashley and the SCAG Toyota team qualified No. 14 after a 3.782-second pass on Friday. They would line up against defending event winner and eventual runner-up Shawn Langdon in the first round. Often called two of the best leavers in NHRA Top Fuel competition, Ashley had a 12-10 winning record against Langdon. Ashley left the starting line first, but it would be a pedalfest. Ashley had cylinders out, but Langdon was able to get it hooked back up to run 5.020 seconds at 235.19 mph bettering Ashley’s 5.682 at 130.61. “It felt great getting back into the swing of things. Obviously, we would’ve liked to perform much better, but it’s a long season. Shawn is as tough as they come and the weather conditions were tricky,” Ashley said. “We gave it our all, but it wasn’t meant to be this time. Right now, we’re focused on Phoenix and the Arizona Nationals. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to spend time with our SCAG dealers and look forward to doing more of the same the week after next.” Richards and the BlueBird / Versatran team found themselves looking in from the outside at the season opener. The BlueBird hotrod only managed a 4.594 second run at 160.42 mph during Friday qualifying that put them No. 17. They were looking to take full advantage of Saturday, but Mother Nature had other plans. “Definitely not the way we wanted to start our season. Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with us on Saturday. We were extremely disappointed not to get two more shots at the track,” Richards said. “We’ll leave here keeping our chins up and I’m confident this team is going to surprise some folks. It’s going to be a long few weeks waiting to get back on the track, I can’t wait for Phoenix.” The three-car SCAG Racing team will return to competition March 21-23 at Firebird Motorsports Park for the NHRA Arizona Nationals. (Photo Courtesy SCAG Racing)