This Week in Motorsports: July 22 – 28, 2024
NHRA:
Sonoma Raceway – July 26-28
ARCA:
Salem Speedway – July 27
PLANO, Texas (July 24, 2024) – While NASCAR is on its two-week break, NHRA and the ARCA Menards Series take center stage this weekend for Team Toyota. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series stays out on the west coast and heads to Sonoma Raceway for race 12 of the season. The ARCA Menards Series stays in the “Hoosier State” and heads to Salem Speedway on Saturday.
NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car
Toyota continues Top Fuel stranglehold … Following last weekend’s race in Seattle, Toyota continues to hold the top-five positions in the Top Fuel points standings.
Doug Kalitta maintains the category points lead, now over his teammate, Shawn Langdon, who made the finals in Seattle last weekend. Following his second consecutive win in Seattle, Steve Torrence jumped to third in the points standings, now with Justin Ashley in fourth and Antron Brown in fifth. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd continues to be the lead GR Supra Funny Car, currently sitting in fourth after a semi-finals appearance last weekend.
Toyota extends streaks … Seattle was another streak-extending weekend for Toyota, which the manufacturer will look to continue in Sonoma. With Torrence’s triumph, Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters have claimed victory in 11 of the last 12 NHRA events dating back to last November. Additionally, with Torrence and Langdon making up the finals in Top Fuel last Sunday, Toyota has now had at least one driver in 34 consecutive final rounds in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.
Ashley, Todd look for Sonoma repeats … Sonoma Raceway was favorable for Team Toyota last year as Ashley and Todd captured the Top Fuel and Funny Car Wally trophies. A repeat victory would be Ashley’s third of 2024 and a triumph on Sunday would be the second for Todd this season. This has also been one of Todd’s best tracks as he owns two Top Fuel wins and two Funny Car wins at Sonoma Raceway. The former Funny Car champion earned his first Funny Car win at the facility in 2017.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series
Sawalich seeks top-five streak extension … William Sawalich has been excellent in his six ARCA Menards Series starts this season. Along with his three victories, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished inside the top-five in all but one of those six starts this season, including a second-place finish last weekend in Indianapolis. In his debut at Salem Speedway last season, he finished sixth, and now seeks to extend this streak and capture another checkered flag.
Breidinger on the cusp of series top-five … Halfway through the ARCA Menards Series season, Toni Breidinger finds herself just outside the top-five of the series points standings, currently sitting in the sixth position. Salem Speedway has been a solid spot for Breidinger in the past as she’s scored top-10 finishes in each of her two previous starts.
