Home Blog Page 1249

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Ryan Blaney: Blaney passed Aric Almirola for the lead with 22 laps to go and pulled away to win the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville, winning his way into the Championship 4.

“Luckily,” Blaney said, “I wasn’t DQ’ed. Actually, I was ‘Q’ed,’ because I ‘qualified’ for the Championship 4.”

2. Kyle Larson: Larson finished sixth at Martinsville.

“It all comes down to Phoenix,” Larson said. “And the pressure is on. I think if any of the Championship 4 drivers say they’re not nervous, they’re lying. But let’s face it, there are some things you want in your stomach, and butterflies are one of them. There are things you don’t want in your stomach, like a Martinsville hot dog.”

3. William Byron: Byron finished 13 in the Xfinity 500 and edged out hard-luck Denny Hamlin for the final playoff spot.

“My fate really came down to the wire,” Byron said. “Preferably, I would have liked to have a win under my belt heading into Martinsville. That would have allowed me to ‘Sit back, relax, and enjoy the view.’ I think that might actually be the motto of Liberty University.”

4. Christopher Bell: Bell finished seventh at Martinsville, and will join William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney in the Championship 4.

“I was ‘locked in’ before Martinsville,” Bell said. “Now, all but four drivers are ‘locked out’ of the Cup championship. I’m dialed in for Phoenix. And I can promise you, I won’t ‘phone it in’ at Phoenix.”

5. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 1 at Martinsville and finished third, but it wasn’t enough to advance to the championship round, as Hamlin finished eight points behind William Byron for the final playoff spot.

“I really wanted another grandfather clock trophy,” Hamlin said. “I have quite a collection, but unfortunately, they all have a habit of striking midnight this time of year.”

6. Tyler Reddick: Reddick came home 26th, two laps down, in the Xfinity 500.

“My car was primarily sponsored by Monster Beast Unleashed Mean Green Seltzer,” Reddick said. “I’ve tried it, and let me tell you, it’s a mouthful.”

7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started on the pole at Martinsville, finished 12th and failed to qualify for the championship round.

“I was the regular season champion,” Truex said. “And when I look back on this twenty years from now, I’m sure I’ll agree that it was, in fact, just a regular season.”

8. Bubba Wallace: Wallace finished 11th at Martinsville.

“I guess waiting for Denny Hamlin to win a Cup championship on the track,” Wallace said, “is akin to waiting for the Great Pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.”

9. Ross Chastain: Chastain came home 14th at Martinsville.

“Based on what I did at Martinsville in last year’s playoffs,” Chastain said, “I should be declared the winner here in perpetuity.”

10. Chris Buescher: Buescher, needing a win to advance, finished eighth at Martinsville.

“I made a last-ditch effort to make the Championship 4,” Buescher said. “And apparently, I ended up in the ditch.”

Burton Recovers From Early Setback To Finish 15th

The prospects for Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team looked bleak after Burton was spun by another driver while racing to avoid getting lapped in the closing circuits of Stage One of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Burton was at one time two laps down, but he, crew chief Jeremy Bullins and the rest of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team responded and came away with a 15th-place finish.

Burton got one of his laps back following the Lap 103 spin by taking the wave-around during the caution period at the end of the first 130-lap Stage.

He got the second lap back when he earned the free pass by being the first driver off the lead lap when the caution flag flew at Lap 304 for an incident involving Carson Hocevar and Ty Gibbs.

Returning to the track after a pit stop, Burton continued his trek forward. A key move came during a caution period at Lap 325 when Bullins called him to the pits for right-side tires and fuel. He had just made a stop 20 laps earlier, but the later stop assured him he’d have enough fuel to make it to the checkered flag.

Burton maintained his spot among the top 20 for all but a handful of the final 168 laps, that ran under the green flag to the finish.

As drivers who made their final stops earlier than him headed to pit road under green in the closing laps, Burton motored by them to finish 15th.

Burton and the Wood Brothers team also offered their congratulations to Team Penske and Ryan Blaney, who won the race and earned a spot among the final four who will compete for the Cup Series championship next Sunday in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.

About Motorcraft®
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford Dealers and Lincoln Retailers, independent distributors and automotive-parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty* of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Omnicraft®
Omnicraft is part of the Ford lineup of parts brands: Ford Parts, Motorcraft and Omnicraft. Omnicraft is the exclusive non-Ford/Lincoln parts brand of premium aftermarket parts. With over a century of parts heritage to build upon, Omnicraft provides excellent quality and fit and is a preferred choice of professional automotive technicians. To find out more about Omnicraft, visit www.omnicraftautoparts.com or contact your local Ford or Lincoln Dealership.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Quick Lane® Tire & Auto Center
Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center offers extraordinary service for routine maintenance, serving all vehicle makes and models. Quick Lane provides a full menu of automotive services, including tires, oil change and maintenance, brakes, batteries, alternator and electrical system, air conditioning system, cooling system, transmission service, suspension and steering, wheel alignment, belts and hoses, lamps and bulbs and wiper blades plus a thorough vehicle checkup report. Service is performed by expert technicians while you wait at any of nearly 800 locations in the U.S., with evening and weekend hours available and no appointment necessary. For more information about Quick Lane, please visit www.quicklane.com.
*See your dealer for limited-warranty details.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 176,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
*See seller for limited-warranty details.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Buescher Caps Playoff Run with Top-10 at Martinsville

No. 17 Team Earns Best Finish in Round of 8 in NASCAR Playoffs

RIDGEWAY, Va. (Oct. 30, 2023) – Chris Buescher’s NASCAR Playoffs run came to a close Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway, but he capped it with his best-career finish at The Paperclip, and strongest run in the Round of 8, an eighth-place finish in the NEXLETOL Ford.

“We took two (tires) and got a lot of track position and we stayed with it so good for so long and just kind of got right down there to the end and we lost some left-rear grip and some drive in it,” Buescher said following the race. “That made it tough to battle back, but I’m proud of the call and proud of everything we did. I’m proud of this pit crew, proud of this team, proud of getting this NEXLETOL Ford Mustang a top-10. Statistically, we get to change our numbers here at Martinsville at least and say we’re capable of doing this. Now we just have to prove it next time.”

It was a grind-it-out day for the No. 17 team, who began the afternoon from the 18th position. Varying strategy split the field early for the 500-lap race, as tire wear was minimal in the early laps. Buescher took just right-side tires in the race’s first yellow at lap 103, and went on to finish 17th in the opening stage.

He worked his way back into the top-15 by lap 215, and bettered that by one spot to finish 14th at the end of the second stage. From there, Buescher took advantage of three cautions in a 50-lap span, as the team ultimately employed more two-tire strategy under the final caution at lap 324. That call put Buescher seventh on the final restart of the race at lap 332, as he went on to finish eighth, the best of his career at the half-mile track.

“It was a fantastic job all around,” Buescher added. “We needed a little bit more obviously to win this thing and move on. We knew that was going to be the case, but I’m extremely proud of our year all things considered. We knew coming into this that as long as I felt like I got out of the car and couldn’t walk anymore and nobody felt like we left anything on the table, then it’s all something to be proud of and I certainly am. It’s a bummer we don’t get to go to the next round, but we’ll take what we’ve done from this year, stack it up and hit the ground running for next season.”

Up Next

Phoenix Raceway hosts the Championship and final race of the 2023 season next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3 p.m. ET on NBC, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Keselowski Finishes 33rd after Promising Start at Martinsville

No. 6 Collected in Incident After Top-5 Stage Finishes

RIDGEWAY, Va. (Oct. 30, 2023) – Brad Keselowski ran into bad luck again Sunday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway after earning top five stage finishes in the early part of the 500-lap race, before an incident on lap 274 ended his promising run in the King’s Hawaiian Ford.

In the penultimate race of the 2023 season, Keselowski began the day from the 10th position. A late-stage caution in the opening 130 laps opened the door for early strategy, as crew chief Matt McCall elected for right-side tires. That call put him sixth on the ensuing restart, which came with 19 laps remaining in the stage.

He went on to finish fifth, earning stage points, before then taking left-side tires, as tire wear was hardly an issue in the early going. Keselowski began stage two in 14th, and surged back into the top-10 as a yellow flag occurred at lap 215. He restarted fifth at lap 225, and maintained the position to finish fifth in the stage conclusion at lap 260.

Then, under the stage break following, Keselowski took right side tires on the King’s Hawaiian Ford, and briefly stalled exiting his pit stall. The mishap put him a few positions behind, setting up the No. 6 in 14th for the restart at lap 270.

Just a couple laps into the run, the No. 22 initiated a multi-car incident, which ultimately resulted in heavy front-end damage for Keselowski. The team would take the car to the garage for repairs, and Keselowski eventually returned to the track for the final three laps to avoid a DNF.

Up Next

Phoenix Raceway hosts the Championship and final race of the 2023 season next weekend. Race coverage on Sunday is set for 3 p.m. ET on NBC, with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

Cadillac at Bahrain: Aiming for a strong finish

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R ‘shows potential to be on the podium’ in every race

DETROIT (Oct. 30, 2023) – It has been a whirlwind 16 months since Earl Bamber drove the hybrid Cadillac prototype in its initial on-track outing.

Data collection, systems validation and development, performance optimization and basically learning the capabilities of the Cadillac V-Series.R has followed – along with strong results: multiple IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) championships, victories and Cadillac’s first-ever podium finish in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

This weekend, Cadillac Racing looks for a strong finish to its maiden trip through the FIA World Endurance Championship.

“It’s been an amazing time with simulation and then bringing the car online in July 2022, Daytona the first-ever race, Le Mans and now, all of a sudden, the season is nearly finished,” Bamber said of the Nov. 4 finale.

Bamber will share the seat of the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R with recently crowned European Le Mans Series LMP2 champion Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook in the 8 Hours of Bahrain on the 5.412-kilometer (3.36-mile), 15-turn Bahrain International Circuit. The LMDh entry received a 7-kilogram dry weight reduction (from 1037 at Fuji) for the race.

Cadillac Racing started the season with three successive top-five finishes and then made a resounding return to Le Mans after a 21-year absence with the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R earning third place and the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R finishing fourth in the centenary race.

“The first year of the program has been fantastic,” team manager Stephen Mitas said. “When you look at the results, particularly at Le Mans, we could only be happy with it. There have been some challenges along the way and some lessons learned, but we are targeting to finish strong in Bahrain. The beginning of next year is all about taking our lessons learned and turning that into positive action for the team and on-track with the car.”

The 8 Hours of Bahrain is scheduled for 2 p.m. Arabian Standard Time / 7 a.m. ET Saturday. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, as will the FIA WEC app. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of the race plus Friday’s final practice and qualifying.

Still in development

At the heart of the racecar built to IMSA and the ACO’s LMDh regulations is the purpose-built 5.5-liter DOHC V8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan, which is paired with the LMDh spec hybrid system. The cross-plane crankshaft produces the signature sound that has made the car a fan favorite at every event.

“This is a new engine for this car, but leaning heavily on the experience and architecture of V8 engines that we have across the portfolio,” GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said.

It’s the only LMDh entry without turbochargers and has displayed reliability and pace in both the WEC and IMSA. The championship-winning No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R and No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R both won an IMSA race, and they combined to earn two pole starts and record the fastest lap in five of the nine races.

“Combustion efficiency on naturally aspirated engines has gotten to a point now where it’s worth it to go with a naturally aspirated motor to save the weight of a turbo and intercooler,” said Adam Trojanek, Cadillac Racing lead propulsion engineer for the WEC and IMSA programs. “You look at what’s the best way to make that power reliably with the fewest objects to possibly break. It’s been rock solid this year.”

Celebrating 20 years

The Cadillac V-Series.R is Cadillac’s third-generation prototype racecar and represents the fifth generation of the brand’s storied V-Series production vehicle lineup that is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The first-generation Cadillac CTS-V entered competition before it entered production and was immediately successful. Overall, Cadillac Racing has produced 68 victories, 222 podium finishes and nine manufacturer championships in all series since 2004.

“Setting the expectation, what is V-Series,” CTS-V program engineering manager Ken Morris said about incorporating on-track learning into the production vehicle. “From day one, the integration of the vehicle to be sophisticated and how does it handle, brakes, how does it set itself apart when you have that kind of power.”

Added Brandon Vivian, executive chief engineer: “The bimodality of having to be a luxury car and a performance car is one of the hallmarks of V-Series DNA that we’ve carried through each generation.”

What they’re saying

Earl Bamber: “I’m looking forward to the race in Bahrain. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs. The highlight of the year, so far, has been the third place at Le Mans, though we’ve shown at every race this year that we have the potential to be on the podium. Now looking to Bahrain, I think our Cadillac LMDh will really suit the circuit and we shoot for the podium like we always do. It’s been an amazing 18 months with simulation and then bringing the car online in July of 2022, Daytona the first-ever race, Le Mans and now, all of a sudden, the season is nearly finished. It was great to see the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac win the GTP championship and Cadillac win the manufacturer championship. It is an awesome achievement for the whole project.”

Alex Lynn: “It’s the season finale for us in the WEC and Bahrain is also a great event. I’m looking forward to getting back to racing in our Cadillac. I think we have a good result in us to finish this season and I’m just excited to driving in the World Endurance Championship again in our Cadillac. The car has come such a long way in 16 months and we’re looking to have a strong result to bounce into 2024. It’s been an exciting first season for the Cadillac team in the WEC, with the highlight being the podium finish at Le Mans. We’ll look to finish on a high.”

Richard Westbrook: “I’m really looking forward to Bahrain. It’s a track that I know well; where I kind of started my international sports car career in the Porsche Super Cup with a win, so I have good memories. It’s going to be a grueling race in the heat as we all know from Formula One recently racing in the region. It’s going to be the same for closed cockpit racing in the WEC. It’s always difficult to know whether your car is going to suit a particular track because every track we’ve been on this year has been new for our car. But I really do feel Bahrain will be good for the Cadillac. It’s lots of slow speed corners which require good traction. That’s a strong point of the car. It’s very hard on the tires, which is a strong point with how kind the Cadillac is on the Michelin tires. There is reason to be optimistic. We’ve had an up and down year – probably more up than down – but the last couple of results have been tough. We’re looking to get back on track to where we were at the beginning of the year and come away with a strong finish like we did at Le Mans.”

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Recap: Martinsville Speedway II

Carson Hocevar, No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 32ND
FINISH: 31ST
OWNERS POINTS: 32ND

Carson Hocevar’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Just a tough day. We were about one adjustment or two behind all day and couldn’t really catch up. Once we got trapped a couple of laps down it’s nearly impossible to regroup and get a reset, and we just never got that today. So it was a tough one, every now and again you’ll just miss it and today it felt like we missed it. Thanks to Sunseeker Resort, Maury (Gallagher) and Jimmie (Johnson) for allowing me to drive their car. We’ll move onto Phoenix!”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Allways Rewards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 29TH
FINISH: 21ST
DRIVER POINTS: 27TH

Erik Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “It was an up-and-down day for the No. 43 Allegiant Allways Rewards Chevy team. It was probably going to turn out a little bit better than we deserved, but strategy just didn’t quite play out. Martinsville (Speedway) has been tough for us. Hopefully we learned a little bit for next year – come back, take something we learned and just make it that much better.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.

In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

NHRA AT LAS VEGAS 2: Team Chevy Race Recap

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 NHRA NEVADA NATIONALS
THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP
OCTOBER 29, 2023

CHEVROLET DOUBLES UP WITH ROBERT HIGHT IN FUNNY CAR AND ERICA ENDERS IN PRO STOCK; AARON STANFIELD SECURES THIRD FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN CHAMPIONSHIP WITH CHEVROLET

  • Robert Hight raced to victory over Bob Tasca, III in Funny Car, earning his fourth win in six final rounds in 2023, and the 85th of his career.
  • Hight’s win at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earns Chevrolet their 159th in Funny Car and 79th in the Camaro body.
  • Erica Enders secured her 47th Pro Stock victory and 48th of her NHRA career, defeating Greg Anderson in the final round in the NHRA Nevada Nationals to earn her 10th victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Enders, with her win Sunday, earned Chevrolet’s 381st in Pro Stock and 262nd in the Camaro.
  • Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, took the No. 1 Qualifier position for Sunday’s race for the sixth time of 2023 and earning 12 bonus points, with his No. 2 run of 3.851 seconds. Bob Tasca, III’s Saturday night run was disqualified, giving Hight the No. 1 position heading into race day.
  • Kyle Koretsky, driver of the Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing, earned the Nevada Nationals No. 1 Qualifier with his run of 6.589 E.T. at 205.66 MPH, picking up six bonus points towards the Countdown to the Championship.
  • Hight led the leaderboard Friday night, qualifying provisional No. 1 with his run of 3.881 E.T. at 327.51 MPH and collecting three bonus points towards the Championship.
  • Enders, with her Q1 run Friday, took the provisional No. 1 spot with her pass of 6.595 E.T. at 207.66 MPH.
  • Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro, clinched his third FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown World Championship Friday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Stephen Bell, driver of the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro, qualified No. 1 for the second time of his career in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

LAS VEGAS (October 29, 2023) – It was a winning weekend in Las Vegas, with Chevrolet doubling up in the professional ranks at the 2023 NHRA Nevada Nationals as Robert Hight captured the win in Funny Car and Erica Enders in Pro Stock. With one race left in the Countdown to the Championship, both victories come at a critical time as the season champion is crowned in two weeks.

Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, first defeated Jeff Diehl in Round 1, Alexis DeJoria in Round 2, and Blake Alexander in Semifinals on his way to the final round versus Bob Tasca, III. After entering Sunday as the No. 1 Qualifier, Hight raced his way to his fourth victory of the year, and his 65th career win tying him with Jeg Coughlin, Jr. for ninth on the all-time NHRA win list with his run of 3.851 E.T. at 326.79 MPH. Additionally, Hight’s win in Las Vegas Sunday is Chevrolet’s 79th in the Camaro body and 159th in Funny Car.

“It’s going to be everything,” reflected Hight on his weekend approaching the final race of the Countdown. “We dug ourselves a hole in Dallas, and we knew we had to come in here in almost a must-win situation. These guys are running right with us, and we’re not running away with this thing. This Chevrolet Camaro, man, Chevrolet is going to be very happy with that right there. I thought to myself as I was staging, you look at this beautiful sunset in Las Vegas and you want to drive off into the sunset, and at least we’re carrying a Wally. Pomona is going to be exciting.”

“We really screwed up in Dallas and we knew when we came here, we knew we had to win, said Thomas Prock, Hight’s Crew Chief at John Force Racing. “We just really took our time to look over notes and make good decisions coming here. It’s really paid off. I’m really so proud of everyone. This is such a hard class to win in, and to do it is unbelievable, honestly, here in Las Vegas.”

On her march to a potential sixth NHRA World Championship, Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling/SCAG Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports, captured her 47th Pro Stock win and 48th in NHRA over KB Titan Racing’s Greg Anderson in the final round, while entering and leaving Las Vegas with the Championship points lead heading into Pomona. Enders win Sunday was Chevrolet’s 381st in Pro Stock, and 262nd in the Camaro. Defeating Mason McGaha in Round 1, teammate Troy Coughlin, Jr. in Round 2, and teammate Jeg Coughlin, Jr. in Semifinals, Enders was able to capture the winlight and Wally trophy after Anderson faced issues after the start. Enders’ win in Las Vegas Sunday was her 10th at The Strip.

“You can’t do it alone. No matter how much negativity surrounds you, if you don’t let it in your boat, it can’t sink you,” said Enders. “I think that’s the biggest lesson from this weekend with what had to deal with, the adversity we had to get through, and again I say it all the time, but when our backs are against the wall, my boys perform flawlessly. Greg (Anderson) had lane choice and took the right, and my crew chiefs were thrilled. This one, this is awesome. We came in here with the (points) lead. Greg (Anderson) is right on my heels, and that was a big round for us. I’m just really proud. We’re going to Pomona, we’re going to give it all the effort. When you dig deep and play with all the heart you have, they can’t get you.”

For the 16-time champion John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, he faced an unfortunate early end after hazing the tires early on his run. Qualifying No. 5, he fell to No. 12 Blake Alexander in the first round.

“Well, tough race day. Definitely not what we wanted for this black and gold PEAK Chevy and the 50th anniversary of Old World Industries,” said Force. “We qualified decent but couldn’t get the job done. I might be out of this championship fight, but Robert is right in the thick of things and I’m proud of that and that team. Hopefully, we can all put on a good show in Pomona and end this season on a good note.”

In Top Fuel, it was an early day for the pair of Brittany Force and Austin Prock, both facing elimination in Round 2. B. Force, driver of the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, faced elimination by Steve Torrence after she defeated Antron Brown in Round 1. Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, fell to Justin Ashley in the second round after defeating Dan Mercier in Round 1.

“We have a good race car, and the team is working hard,” said Prock. “It was unfortunate that we blew it up in that first round. Second round, it blew some spark plugs, so we were running on six cylinders, and that’s just not going to get the job done. I’m proud of this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team and I know we’ll be itching to get back at it in Pomona, California in a couple of weeks.”

Clinching his third FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown World Championship, Aaron Stanfield was able to secure the success early in the weekend by outrunning Stephen Bell in the first round, and then defeating No. 1 qualifier Lenny Lottig in the second. “It’s pretty cool to be able to do it here in Las Vegas,” said Stanfield, also an 11-time FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown national event winner. “I love this racetrack. It’s good to be able to do it, we’re happy to get it done quick this weekend. All the championships are special and they all have their own story. There’s no such thing as a bad championship so I’m very thankful, very blessed.”

“Thank you to all the all the guys that work on my hot rod. Collectively between Pro Stock and Flexjet Factory Stock there’s a lot of guys that play a big hand in me being able to do all of this,” said Stanfield. “I’m just very thankful for individually each one of them. I’m so glad to get it done and I want to thank FlexJet and the NHRA.”

Due to a cold track and adverse weather conditions, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown will complete their NHRA Nevada Nationals race day Monday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The final race of the 2023 NHRA season and Countdown to the Championship takes place Nov. 10-12, 2023, at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. In competition and representing the Bowtie brand, Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock will all crown world champions Sunday, Nov. 12. Qualifying airs first on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), with Finals following at 4 p.m. ET on FS1. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“This Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team was faced with another tough weekend here in Las Vegas. Coming into race day from the No. 10 spot we knew we needed to step up our game to have a fighting chance. We made big moves, improving our ET with a solid 3.704 run in round one earning us a win light. Unfortunately, our performance fell off in round two as we slowed to a 3.78. That was not our plan, and it was a frustrating round loss. Our team plans to test on Monday to get us in a better position heading into Pomona. We leave seventh in points before going into the final race of the season.”

ROBERT HIGHT, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing – NHRA Nevada Nationals Winner’s Press Conferece:

WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY…

“It’s been a strong weekend at the races. I’d like to know if anybody in a Countdown race has ever, in Funny Car, swept every single point possible. That goes to my team. They gave me a racecar that was perfect this weekend, and we had good conditions, but a 3.88 was our worst run. The 3.81, we weren’t trying to do that. Everything just happened and worked perfectly, which kind of scared me. If we weren’t trying to do that, that’s stuff that’s kind of been biting us. First round at Dallas against Haddock, we smoked the tires. You think you had to have been really close to smoking the tires to run 3.81. But Jimmy (Prock) and Thomas (Prock) got it in check, and we just did our job all day. Now, I heard it was 17 points for the top-three (in the Championship) in Funny Car. If that isn’t going to make an exciting Pomona, I don’t know what is.”

YOU’VE BEEN HERE SO MANY TIMES IN THE FINALS WITH RACES THAT ARE CLOSE. WITH SINGLE DIGIT CHAMPIONSHIPS. HOW DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?

“I feel really good right now. We’ve just got to stay stead and stay focused. There’s nothing we can do about the conditions, what they’re going to be at Pomona. I’m going to pray every night that they’re great, fast conditions like we had this weekend. Whatever it is, it is. I feel my team has a good handle on this racecar, and we just got to go get it done. With two tough competitors, it’s not going to be easy. (Ron) Capps is still mathematically in it, but the three of us, we’re going to duking it out. My boss (John Force) is going to test tomorrow. Hopefully, he gets his hot rod running better and he can help me out a little bit and put some pressure on these guys.”

WITH THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS MOMENT, HOW MUCH DO YOU LIVE FOR THESE SITUATIONS?

“I’d rather be in Gaige Herrera’s spot, if I had to trade that’s what I’d do. We’re here. We’ve got to make the best of it. We’ve got to perform, and those guys are going to be right there. More than likely, it’s going to go down to the final round at Pomona to win the championship, and it doesn’t get more dramatic than that. It’s cool, and to look back on it, and you get the job done, boy, there’s not going to be anything more rewarding than that.”

IS THERE SOMETHING EXTRA IN YOUR RIGHT NOW GOING INTO POMONA THIS YEAR AFTER FINISHING RUNNER-UP IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR?

“Yeah, kind of. But you can’t focus on that. You have to focus on the task at hand. What’s behind us is behind us. You might use it as a little motivation, but we’ve got our hands full here. When it’s 17 points, and points-and-a-half, every point with four points in every run in qualifying – if I did in Pomona what I did here, I’m one point back going into Sunday, potentially. Every run, the magnitude of importance, it’s going to be crazy. I’d rather it be next weekend than a weekend off. I don’t really want to think about it for 10 days.”

ERICA ENDERS, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling/SCAG Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports – NHRA Nevada Nationals Winner’s Press Conference:

COMING IN FROM NO. 2 QUALIFYING POSITION, AND EARNING FOURTH WIN OF THE YEAR, 10TH IN LAS VEGAS, 47TH IN PRO STOCK, YOU NOW HAVE A 114-POINT LEAD HEADING INTO POMONA. DO YOU FEEL HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF FOR A SIXTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?

“Today, I drove, but stress level was do or die. We needed to perform perfectly, and my guys went out there and did just that. It was a challenging day. I watched Mason (McGaha) go double-0 on someone in St. Louis, and send them packing first round. You just know he can be good, so I wanted to just go up there and do my thing. Then (Troy Coughlin, Jr) my teammate, I know the horsepower he has, he has been literally within a hundredth on his reaction times all through qualifying and eliminations. I knew I had to do good there. Then Jeg Coughlin, Jr. went .004, .005, and .007 in reaction time in qualifying. His graphs looked perfect. He’s a legend, and him and I both got pretty loose out there. It was a little scary. And then the final round against Greg (Anderson), it was just kind of epic. When Greg (Anderson) and I both won the semifinals, we both shook hands down there and he said, ‘Old guys to the top.’ I really enjoy racing him but I enjoy beating him more, respectfully. It was just a tremendous day. Vegas is always great to us. We knew coming in, that was working in our favor, but you still have to put your head down and go to work. It’s stressful, it’s antagonizing, it’s all kinds of things, but the biggest lesson this weekend is trying to stay positive through all the negativity. People try to put water in your boat and make you sink, and you just have to keep them out. That’s what my guys do the best. We put our arms around each other, we put our heads down together. We don’t complain when we lose, we just do our thing and that’s what I’m most proud of today.”

TO HAVE TEN WINS AT ONE FACILITY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

“It’s huge. When I was 21, I was racing Super Comp dragster, and my dad said for my 21st birthday, he’d let me come out here and race. We had a great time, so I’ve been racing at this facility for a long time. Being that it was here when I got my first win with Elite Motorsports in 2014, we doubled that weekend with the K&N Challenge, won the fall race, did the exact same thing in 2015, and throughout the years have done, obviously, very well and clinched a handful of championships at this very racetrack. It’s kind of hard to even think negatively when you pull in the gate here, because you just see things that trigger memories, and the winner’s circle that goes on in the staging lanes, the sprinkles and confetti and all of the great things we do here, it’s kind of our happy place. I love it.”

YOUR RIVALRY WITH GREG (ANDERSON) HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS. WHY IS THAT SO SPECIAL FOR YOU?

“Greg (Anderson) has 100 and something wins and five world championships. He’s one of the baddest dudes to ever race Pro Stock. To be able to go toe to toe with him is pretty cool for me as a Pro Stock fan before I was ever a driver. When I first came on the scene, I was 19 years old, and I can only imagine what they thought, right? Here’s this… No girls did it ever, really, and here’s this young kid, and she’s going to come in here. We didn’t have a lot of success at the beginning, but I’m sure the thought was ‘she’ll just be a flash in the pan,’ or ‘she won’t do well and she’ll be gone.’ They had me pegged wrong because I went to work. It took a long time before we were successful. It means so much to me because it went from I feel like he hated me and didn’t want to be the first guy to lose to me, and with an awesome sense of humor, that’s what happened in Chicago. We went through a lot together. Some really low points. I’ve watched him win, he’s watched me win. We’re not best friends, but to have a mutual respect for one another. That’s something he said to me at the Dallas Champions dinner was that you never gave up, and you worked hard and you drove crap that wouldn’t qualifying. When these kids come in now with checkbooks, they want instant gratification. They don’t work hard for it. That meant a lot to me coming from him that he saw that in me. I’m glad there’s some mutual respect there. He wants it too, and we both bring our A-game.”

APPROACHING YOUR SIXTH CHAMPIONSHIP, DO YOU FEEL IT’S YOURS YET?

“No. I definitely don’t feel like it’s ours. We have to go out there and continue to earn it. Had you asked me that 12 races ago, I’d say you’re nuts if you told me we’d be contending for a sixth championship this year, because we were absolutely horrible. I don’t think that way at all. Sure, it’s 114 points, but Pomona is points-and-a-half. A lot can happen, a lot can change, so I just try to put that out of my mind. I know it sounds silly and cliché, but I just try to focus on what’s right in front of me. I don’t want to get the bigger picture in my mind too far ahead, but at the same time believe we can do it and we’re capable.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 10 Brittany Force defeated No. 7 Antron Brown with her run of 3.752 E.T. at 304.87 MPH to Brown’s 3.736 E.T. at 326.79 MPH.
No. 3 Austin Prock defeated No. 14 Kelly Harper with his pass of 3.719 E.T. at 289.51 MPH to Harper’s 3.806 E.T. at 317.27 MPH.

Funny Car:

No. 1 Robert Hight defeated No. 16 Jeff Diehl as Diehl redlit to Hight’s 3.816 E.T. at 332.67 MPH.
No. 5 John Force fell to No. 12 Blake Alexander after smoking the tires early in his run, with Alexander running 3.940 E.T. at 319.51 MPH to the winlight.

Pro Stock:

No. 1 Kyle Korestky defeated No. 16 Jerry Tucker with his pass of 6.552 E.T. at 208.36 MPH to Tucker’s 6.595 E.T. at 208.39 MPH,
No. 8 Greg Anderson defeated No. 9 Aaron Stanfield with his run of 6.577 E.T. at 207.27 MPH to Stanfield’s 6.612 E.T. at 207.69.
No. 5 Matt Hartford defeated No. 12 Camrie Caruso with his run of 6.584 E.T. at 208.07 MPH to Caruso’s 7.370 E.T. at 142.10 MPH, facing issues mid-run.
No. 2 Erica Enders defeated No. 15 Mason McGaha after her run of 6.554 E.T. at 208.81 MPH to McGaha’s 6.625 E.T. at 207.30 MPH.
No. 7 Troy Coughlin, Jr. defeated No. 10 Bo Butner, III with his run of 6.573 E.T. at 208.26 MPH to Butner’s 6.582 E.T. at 207.75 MPH.
No. 14 Deric Kramer fell to No. 3 Christian Cuadra after running 6.597 E.T. at 205.57 MPH to Kramer’s 6.601 E.T. at 207.75 MPH.
No. 6 Dallas Glenn fell to No. 11 Jeg Coughlin, Jr. after facing issues on the start, with J. Coughlin, Jr. running 6.595 E.T. at 207.43 MPH.

Round 2:

Top Fuel:

Prock fell to Ashley on his run of 3.727 E.T. at 319.07 MPH to Ashley’s 3.703 E.T. at 331.69 MPH.
B. Force fell to Torrence with her run of 3.785 E.T. at 311.85 MPH to Torrence’s 3.674 E.T. at 330.72 MPH.

Funny Car:

Hight defeated DeJoria on his run of 3.859 E.T. at 333.99 MPH to DeJoria’s 4.085 E.T. at 247.79 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Koretsky fell to Anderson with his run of 6.567 E.T. at 207.91 MPH to Anderson’s 6.583 E.T. at 207.98 MPH, including a .004 reaction time.
Hartford defeated Cuadra, Jr. with his run of 6.589 E.T. at 207.78 MPH to Cuadra, Jr.’s 6.612 E.T. at 206.86 MPH.
Enders defeated T. Coughlin, Jr. with her run of 6.570 E.T. at 208.36 MPH to T. Coughlin, Jr.’s 6.616 E.T. at 207.88 MPH.
J. Coughlin, Jr. defeated C. Cuadra with his pass of 6.616 E.T. at 206.70 MPH to C. Cuadra’s 6.615 E.T. at 207.75 MPH.

Semifinals:

Funny Car:

Hight defeated Alexander with his run of 3.868 E.T. at 330.55 MPH as Alexader faces issues on the run.

Pro Stock:

Hartford fell to Anderson on his run of 7.294 E.T. at 153.42 MPH to Anderson’s 6.566 E.T. at 207.88 MPH.
Enders defeated J. Coughlin, Jr. with her run of 6.578 E.T. at 207.81 MPH to Coughlin, Jr.’s 6.948 E.T. at 144.12 MPH and pulling the chutes at the 800-foot mark.

Finals:

Funny Car:

Hight defeated Tasca, III after Tasca had to pedal his car and struggle on the run to Hight’s 3.851 E.T. at 326.79 MPH.

Pro Stock:

Enders defeated Anderson with her pass of 6.557 E.T. at 208.23 MPH to Anderson facing issues on the start.
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

HIGHT, SALINAS, ENDERS & HERRERA POWER TO WINS AT NHRA NEVADA NATIONALS

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29, 2023) – Robert Hight pulled to within 17 points of the Funny Car points lead on Sunday, finishing off a dominant weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the victory for John Force Racing at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 20th of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Hight went 3.851-seconds at 326.79 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Bob Tasca III in the final round, earning his fourth victory of the 2023 season and the 65th in his career. He now trails Matt Hagan by 17 points with one race remaining, with Tasca just 15 points out of first.

Hight’s day also included a track-record run of 3.816 at 332.67 in the opening round, which was the quickest run in Funny Car since 2017. He followed with round wins against Alexis DeJoria and Blake Alexander to reach the final, staying in the 3.80s throughout eliminations to set up what will be an incredible finale in Pomona.

“It’s really been a strong weekend at the races,” said Hight. “I’d like to know if anybody in a Countdown race in Funny Car has swept every single point possible. That just goes to my team. You know, they gave me a race car that was perfect this weekend, and we had good conditions where 3.88 was our worst run.

“I feel really good [going into Pomona]. We just have to stay steady and stay focused. Nothing we can do about what the conditions are going to be at Pomona, but I’m going to pray every night that they’re great like we had this weekend. I feel like my team’s got a good handle on this race car, and we just have to go get it done.”

Tasca reached his 30th career final round and the fourth this season with wins against Steven Densham, Cruz Pedregon and Hagan before falling to Hight.

In Top Fuel, Mike Salinas put together one of the most complete weekends in his career, finishing it off with a run of 3.673 at 331.36 in his 11,000-horsepower Valley Services/Scrappers Racing dragster to get past Justin Ashley in the championship round. Salinas powered to his second victory this season and the ninth in his career, also remaining in the championship hunt in the process. He’ll head to the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals 76 points out of first, giving himself a fighting chance with a spectacular weekend in Las Vegas.

He qualified No. 1 and then dispatched Rob Passey, Tony Schumacher and Josh Hart to reach the final round. There, he put together his fourth straight run in the 3.60s as Salinas felt his team took an impressive step forward in the process.

“We came into this race and I told my guys, we need to win this race and the next one to even matter,” Salinas said. “We were badass today, we were the best car out here, but we think there’s more.

“We’ve been working on this car since Gainesville and it has shown signs of greatness, but the consistency has been evading us, so we were trying to get more consistent. We have come across some stuff that we were working on, it seemed to work and today is the best day we’ve had all year and the car’s showing amazing signs. If we can continue to do what we’re doing here, it’ll be a great weekend in Pomona.”

Ashley reached his eighth final round in 2023 and 19th overall by defeating Dan Mercier, Austin Prock and Steve Torrence, who took over the points lead in Las Vegas. He leads Doug Kalitta by 15 points, with Pruett now 34 points back.

The most successful driver in the history of The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway continued her winning ways, as Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders won for the 10th time in Las Vegas, defeating Greg Anderson with a run of 6.557 at 208.23 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro. Enders continued her strong run in the Countdown to the Championship, winning for the fourth time this season and the 47th time in her Pro Stock career.

It’s also the second straight win for Enders, as she stretched her lead to 114 points over Anderson heading into the last race of the season. She knocked off Mason McGaha, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Jeg Coughlin Jr. to reach the final round and after defeating Anderson, Enders is on the verge of her sixth world championship.

“Today was stress-level nine million,” Enders said. “It was do or die. We needed to perform perfectly, and my guys went out there and did just that. It was a challenging day. The final round against Greg, it was pretty epic. After we both won the semifinals, we shook hands and he said, ‘Old guys to the top.’ I really enjoy racing him, but I enjoy beating him more, respectfully.

“It was a tremendous day, [but] I don’t feel like [the championship] is ours. We have to go out there and continue to earn it. If you would have told me 12 races ago that we were going to contend for our sixth championship, I would have told you that you were nuts. We have a 114-point lead, but a lot can happen. A lot can change, and I just try to focus on what’s right in front of me. I don’t want to get the bigger picture in my mind too far ahead, but at the same time believe that we can do it and that we’re capable.”

Anderson reached his 176th career final round thanks to victories against Aaron Stanfield, No. 1 qualifier Kyle Koretsky and Matt Hartford.

It won’t be official until the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, but Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera moved a step closer to his first world championship by taking down teammate Eddie Krawiec in the final round with a track-record run of 6.755 at 198.32 on his Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It gives Herrera his 10th victory this season, tying Matt Hines for the most in a single season in Pro Stock Motorcycle history, as well a 181-point lead heading into the finale. That means Herrera will clinch the world championship in Pomona with his first qualifying run, a fitting end to one of the most dominant seasons in NHRA history.

After qualifying No. 1 for the 13th time this year, Herrera reached the final round with victories against Marc Ingwersen and Jerry Savoie. That set up a final round matchup with his teammate for the fourth time this season and Herrera again denied his teammate of a 50th career win. He was untouchable in Las Vegas, shattering his own track record in the finals with another epic run.

“This race was really emotional to me. I have a lot of family and friends here, and I had a stellar bike all day,” Herrera said. “All day today, it was a little bit of a challenge with the headwind, riding-wise, and you could definitely feel it. But I had a very good bike all day. It was awesome being in the final against Ed. That’s the third Vance & Hines final in a row, and it was a fun final.

“We went up there, and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to stage first so I just sat there. He revved the throttle at me and I did it back. Once he did it the second time I said, ‘Oh, he’s definitely not going in first,’ so I just rolled it in. It knocked me off my game a little, but he shook the tire and I ended up going a 6.755. It felt like a very smooth, good pass, but I didn’t expect it to go faster than what I qualified with. We’re happy with that, and after this weekend, once I go to Pomona and break the beams, it’s a done deal – that’s very exciting.”

Krawiec advanced to the finals for the fourth time this season and the 95th time overall by defeating Steve Johnson and Jianna Evaristo.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series closes out the 2023 season with the 58th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.


LAS VEGAS — Final finish order (1-16) at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the 20th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

  1. Mike Salinas; 2. Justin Ashley; 3. Steve Torrence; 4. Josh Hart; 5. Doug Kalitta; 6. Austin Prock; 7. Brittany Force; 8. Tony Schumacher; 9. Leah Pruett; 10. Clay Millican; 11. T.J. Zizzo; 12. Antron Brown; 13. Shawn Langdon; 14. Dan Mercier; 15. Kelly Harper; 16. Rob Passey.

FUNNY CAR:

  1. Robert Hight; 2. Bob Tasca III; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. Blake Alexander; 5. Paul Lee; 6. Alexis DeJoria; 7. Cruz Pedregon; 8. Alex Laughlin; 9. Chad Green; 10. Jeff Diehl; 11. Ron Capps; 12. Tim Wilkerson; 13. Steven Densham; 14. J.R. Todd; 15. John Force; 16. Terry Haddock.

PRO STOCK:

  1. Erica Enders; 2. Greg Anderson; 3. Jeg Coughlin; 4. Matt Hartford; 5. Kyle Koretsky; 6. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 7. Cristian Cuadra; 8. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 9. Bo Butner; 10. Jerry Tucker; 11. Deric Kramer; 12. Aaron Stanfield; 13. Mason McGaha; 14. Camrie Caruso; 15. Fernando Cuadra; 16. Dallas Glenn.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

  1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Eddie Krawiec; 3. Jianna Evaristo; 4. Jerry Savoie; 5. John Hall; 6. Steve Johnson; 7. Marc Ingwersen; 8. Joey Gladstone; 9. Hector Arana Jr; 10. Matt Smith; 11. Kelly Clontz; 12. Ryan Oehler; 13. Chris Bostick; 14. Blaine Hale; 15. Karen Stoffer; 16. Angie Smith.

LAS VEGAS — Sunday’s final results from the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the 20th of 21 in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Mike Salinas, 3.673 seconds, 333.16 mph def. Justin Ashley, 5.796 seconds, 120.56 mph.

Funny Car — Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.851, 326.79 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 4.235, 268.28.

Pro Stock — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.557, 208.23 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 23.892, 36.48.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.755, 198.32 def. Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 6.847, 198.70.

Pro Modified — Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 5.703, 250.74 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 8.536, 109.77.

Legends Nostalgia Funny Car presented by Modern Warriors — Bobby Cottrell, Chevy Camaro, 4.731, 242.32 def. Geoff Monise, Pontiac Firebird, Broke – No Show.

Summit Super Pro — Billy Boyko, Dragster, 7.533, 179.25 def. Tony Virgilio, Dragster, 7.773, 167.72.

Summit Pro ET — Mike LaRose, Dodge Dart, 9.035, 146.78 def. Randy Burwell, Ford Pinto, 10.579, 124.84.

Summit Sportsman — Jake Biscay, Chevy Wagon, 12.536, 101.06 def. Denny Renninger, Olds Cutlass, 11.907, 111.86.

Summit ET Motorcycle — Patrick Roetto, Hayabusa, 9.199, 142.09 def. Michael Konopacki, Kawasaki ZX10, 8.607, 147.54.

Summit Street Legal EV — Joshua Rogers, Model Y, 13.190, 104.98 def. Darrel Goheen, Model Y, 12.098, 112.37.

LAS VEGAS — Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 20th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Tony Schumacher, 3.697, 326.87 def. Shawn Langdon, 3.744, 323.74; Brittany Force, 3.704, 331.04 def. Antron Brown, 3.739, 315.34; Justin Ashley, 3.736, 326.79 def. Dan Mercier, 3.752, 304.87; Josh Hart, 3.740, 326.40 def. Leah Pruett, 3.699, 332.26; Steve Torrence, 3.694, 332.51 def. Clay Millican, 3.705, 331.12; Mike Salinas, 3.695, 334.15 def. Rob Passey, 7.672, 92.00; Austin Prock, 3.719, 289.51 def. Kelly Harper, 3.806, 317.27; Doug Kalitta, 3.683, 334.73 def. T.J. Zizzo, 3.719, 318.99;

QUARTERFINALS — Ashley, 3.703, 331.69 def. Prock, 3.727, 319.07; Salinas, 3.688, 334.48 def. Schumacher, 3.867, 313.80; Torrence, 3.674, 330.72 def. Force, 3.785, 311.85; Hart, 3.734, 329.67 def. Kalitta, 3.710, 330.55;

SEMIFINALS — Salinas, 3.663, 333.82 def. Hart, 3.745, 325.30; Ashley, 3.730, 328.46 def. Torrence, 3.680, 331.77;

FINAL — Salinas, 3.673, 333.16 def. Ashley, 5.796, 120.56.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.899, 326.08 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.998, 265.69; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.940, 319.52 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 5.468, 134.22; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.347, 226.54 def. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.727, 170.58; Robert Hight, Camaro, 3.816, 332.67 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, Foul – Red Light; Alex Laughlin, Charger, 4.089, 309.06 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.090, 254.04; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.889, 330.72 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 6.844, 98.13; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.749, 275.06 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.830, 253.56; Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.923, 326.16 def. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.674, 164.49;

QUARTERFINALS — Tasca III, 3.986, 316.67 def. Pedregon, Broke; Alexander, 3.935, 321.12 def. Laughlin, Broke; Hight, 3.859, 333.99 def. DeJoria, 4.085, 247.79; Hagan, 3.892, 331.36 def. Lee, 3.947, 317.64;

SEMIFINALS — Tasca III, 3.886, 332.84 def. Hagan, 3.901, 328.38; Hight, 3.868, 330.55 def. Alexander, 7.579, 89.89;

FINAL — Hight, 3.851, 326.79 def. Tasca III, 4.235, 268.28.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.577, 207.27 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.612, 207.69; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.573, 208.26 def. Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.582, 207.75; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.595, 207.43 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 19.861, 60.39; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.584, 208.07 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 7.370, 142.10; Fernando Cuadra Jr., Ford Mustang, 7.202, 207.72 def. Fernando Cuadra, Mustang, 10.550, 84.01; Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.552, 208.36 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.595, 208.39; Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.601, 207.75 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.597, 205.57; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.554, 208.81 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.625, 207.30;

QUARTERFINALS — Coughlin, 6.616, 206.70 def. C. Cuadra, 6.615, 207.75; Hartford, 6.589, 207.78 def. Cuadra Jr., 6.612, 206.86; Enders, 6.570, 208.36 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.616, 207.88; Anderson, 6.583, 207.98 def. Koretsky, 6.567, 207.91;

SEMIFINALS — Anderson, 6.566, 207.88 def. Hartford, 7.294, 153.42; Enders, 6.578, 207.91 def. Coughlin, 6.948, 144.12;

FINAL — Enders, 6.557, 208.23 def. Anderson, 23.892, 36.48.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.986, 191.00 def. Chris Bostick, 16.491, 42.61; Jianna Evaristo, Suzuki, 6.889, 192.17 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.956, 193.88; Marc Ingwersen, 7.000, 192.28 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.969, 193.07; John Hall, 6.881, 193.90 def. Matt Smith, Suzuki, 6.949, 194.46; Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.891, 194.18 def. Blaine Hale, Suzuki, Foul – Centerline; Joey Gladstone, Buell, 6.840, 197.22 def. Hector Arana Jr, Buell, 6.856, 197.94; Eddie Krawiec, Suzuki, 16.501, 42.85 def. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, Broke – No Show; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.786, 198.41 def. Angie Smith, Buell, Broke – No Show;

QUARTERFINALS — Krawiec, 6.864, 197.08 def. Johnson, 6.959, 189.73; Savoie, 6.925, 192.41 def. Hall, Foul – Red Light; Evaristo, 6.950, 192.77 def. Gladstone, 7.244, 146.93; Herrera, 6.795, 196.93 def. Ingwersen, 7.026, 169.57;

SEMIFINALS — Krawiec, 6.845, 197.57 def. Evaristo, 6.897, 193.29; Herrera, 6.815, 196.85 def. Savoie, 6.906, 193.07;

FINAL — Herrera, 6.755, 198.32 def. Krawiec, 6.847, 198.70.

LAS VEGAS — Point standings (top 10) following the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 20th of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

  1. Steve Torrence, 2,483; 2. Doug Kalitta, 2,468; 3. Leah Pruett, 2,449; 4. Mike Salinas, 2,407; 5. Justin Ashley, 2,401; 6. Antron Brown, 2,337; 7. Brittany Force, 2,303; 8. Austin Prock, 2,256; 9. Tony Schumacher, 2,248; 10. Clay Millican, 2,227.

Funny Car

  1. Matt Hagan, 2,539; 2. Bob Tasca III, 2,524; 3. Robert Hight, 2,522; 4. Ron Capps, 2,400; 5. John Force, 2,297; 6. J.R. Todd, 2,283; 7. Chad Green, 2,275; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2,270; 9. Alexis DeJoria, 2,249; 10. Alex Laughlin, 2,245.

Pro Stock

  1. Erica Enders, 2,576; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,462; 3. Matt Hartford, 2,421; 4. Dallas Glenn, 2,397; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 2,363; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,362; 7. Kyle Koretsky, 2,288; 8. Deric Kramer, 2,283; 9. Cristian Cuadra, 2,245; 10. Camrie Caruso, 2,237.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

  1. Gaige Herrera, 2,690; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2,509; 3. Matt Smith, 2,421; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,419; 5. Jianna Evaristo, 2,276; 6. Chase Van Sant, 2,254; 7. Marc Ingwersen, 2,243; 8. Angie Smith, 2,234; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,223; 10. Kelly Clontz, 2,188.

MIKE CASTELLENA WINS FUELTECH NHRA PRO MOD TITLE & LAS VEGAS RACE POWERED BY JBS EQUIPMENT

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29, 2023) – Mike Castellana clinched his first career world championship in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and then finished off his magical weekend with the victory as part of the weekend’s 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals.

It was the last of 10 events during the 2023 season and the fourth race in the category’s Road to the Championship. This weekend’s race was powered by JBS Equipment and Saturday belonged to Castellana, a longtime Pro Mod veteran.

Castellana clinched the championship in the second round on Sunday, knocking off Dmitry Samorukov with a run of 5.693-seconds at 251.30 mph in his Western Beef Camaro, making the quickest pass of the weekend in the process. Moments later, Justin Bond fell to Kevin Rivenbark, handing the world title in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports to Castellana for the first time.

“It’s totally awesome. I had no clue. I knew I was third in the points. I didn’t want to think about what we had to do,” Castellana said. “I knew we had to win the race, that was our goal. I had no clue we could win the championship. I have to thank my whole team, those guys are just amazing. This is awesome. It means a lot. Over the years, we’ve won championships in other circuits, but we’ve been chasing this one for a long time. We came so close a few years back, but we got it this year.”

Castellana, who was also the No. 1 qualifier in a dominant final weekend of the year, then finished off his day in style, taking down St. Louis winner Jordan Lazic in the semifinals to move to the finals.

In the championship round, Castellana went 5.703 at 250.74 to easily hold off Kevin Rivenbark, capping his championship year off with his first victory of the season. It was the ideal ending to Castellana’s season, as his late-season run helped clinch the world title in the talent-filled FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

“It’s an amazing story. I just can’t believe it,” Castellana said. “We came into this weekend and we wanted to win the race. I didn’t have any thoughts about the championship but everything came together. Everybody did an awesome job on this car, and we won the race and the championship.”

Kevin Rivenbark reached the final round for the first time by knocking off Ken Quartuccio, Bond and Sidnei Frigo. The 2024 schedule in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports will be announced later this week.


LAS VEGAS — Final finish order (1-16) at the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the final of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

  1. Mike Castellana; 2. Kevin Rivenbark; 3. Sidnei Frigo; 4. Jordan Lazic; 5. Khalid alBalooshi; 6. Justin Bond; 7. Dmitry Samorukov; 8. Mason Wright; 9. Stan Shelton; 10. Mike Thielen; 11. Ken Quartuccio; 12. Adriano Kayayan; 13. Nick Januik; 14. JR Gray; 15. Jason Lee; 16. Kris Thorne.

LAS VEGAS — Sunday’s final results from the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race is the final of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

Pro Modified — Mike Castellana, Chevy Camaro, 5.703, 250.74 def. Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 8.536, 109.77.

LAS VEGAS — Final round-by-round results from the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the final of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE — Jordan Lazic, Chevy Camaro, 5.881, 242.93 def. Jason Lee, Camaro, 7.043, 131.64; Kevin Rivenbark, Ford Mustang, 5.812, 240.94 def. Ken Quartuccio, Camaro, 5.835, 245.40; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 5.732, 250.00 def. Stan Shelton, Mustang, 5.779, 245.45; Khalid alBalooshi, Camaro, 5.745, 248.84 def. Adriano Kayayan, Camaro, 5.874, 238.64; Sidnei Frigo, Camaro, 5.881, 243.37 def. Kris Thorne, Camaro, Foul – Outer Boundary; Mason Wright, Camaro, 5.838, 243.37 def. JR Gray, Camaro, 6.181, 237.92; Justin Bond, Camaro, 5.755, 245.05 def. Nick Januik, Chevy Corvette, 6.023, 206.42; Dmitry Samorukov, Camaro, 7.654, 124.57 def. Mike Thielen, Camaro, Foul – Red Light;

QUARTERFINALS — Lazic, 5.895, 243.28 def. alBalooshi, 5.755, 248.84; Castellana, 5.693, 251.30 def. Samorukov, 6.055, 232.19; Frigo, 5.858, 243.50 def. Wright, 7.303, 104.85; Rivenbark, 5.748, 251.11 def. Bond, 5.755, 245.67;

SEMIFINALS — Rivenbark, 5.866, 247.84 def. Frigo, 5.875, 243.37; Castellana, 5.799, 248.61 def. Lazic, 9.649, 102.17;

FINAL — Castellana, 5.703, 250.74 def. Rivenbark, 8.536, 109.77.

LAS VEGAS — Point standings (top 10) following the 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the final of 10 events in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

Pro Modified

  1. Mike Castellana, 1,148; 2. Justin Bond, 1,075; 3. Kris Thorne, 1,060; 4. Jason Lee, 999; 5. Dmitry Samorukov, 990; 6. Khalid alBalooshi, 979; 7. Stan Shelton, 976; 8. Sidnei Frigo, 946; 9. Kevin Rivenbark, 940; 10. JR Gray, 905.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North Post-Race NHRA Las Vegas Post-Qualifying Report – 10.29.23

ASHLEY MAKES FINALS AT LAS VEGAS TO KEEP TOYOTA FINALS STREAK ALIVE
Multiple Toyota racers in the thick of championship battles going to Pomona

LAS VEGAS (October 29, 2023) – On a cold, windy day at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Justin Ashley powered his Leatherwood Distillery Toyota dragster to the Nevada FallNationals finals Sunday afternoon. The finals appearance was Ashley’s best run of the Countdown to the Championship as he continues his chase for a maiden Top Fuel title. This also extended Toyota’s streak of reaching the finals in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car, which now stands at 22.

Other Toyota title contenders, Steve Torrence (semi-finals) and Doug Kalitta (second round), were eliminated earlier in the afternoon as the Top Fuel standings flipped flopped throughout the weekend. Heading to Pomona, Torrence now leads Top Fuel with 2,483 points, gaining two positions in the standings this weekend. Kalitta sits second and trails Torrence by 15 points, while Ashley sits 82 points behind. 

Alexis DeJoria was the top Toyota Funny Car racer at The Strip as she reached the second round this afternoon, her best result since Maple Grove. Ron Capps and J.R. Todd both fell out in the first round and will look for better results to finish off 2023 at Pomona Dragway. 

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 20 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Justin AshleyLeatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFinalistW 3.736 vs. D. Mercier (3.752) W 3.703 vs. A. Prock (3.727) Holeshot W 3.730 vs. S. Torrence (3.680) L 5.796 vs. M. Salinas (3.673)
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-finalsW 3.694 vs. C. Millican (3.705) W 3.674 vs. B. Force (3.785) L 3.680 vs. J. Ashley (3.730 – Holeshot W)
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW 3.683 vs. T. Zizzo (3.719) L 3.710 vs. J. Hart (3.734 – Holeshot W)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL 3.739 vs. B. Force (3.703)
Shawn LangdonFuture Energy Solutions Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL 3.744 vs. T. Schumacher (3.697)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW 3.923 vs. T. Wilkerson (4.674) L 4.805 vs. R. Hight (3.859)
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL 4.090 vs. A. Laughlin (4.089)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL 4.830 vs. C. Pedregon (4.749)

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Leatherwood Distillery Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Maynard-Ashley Racing

TF Final Result: Finalist

How would you describe your day in some tricky conditions?

“Yeah, I thought the day was good for us. We came into this weekend with a goal to keep our championship hopes alive, which wasn’t an easy task with the weather conditions we had today adding another barrier to it. Would’ve loved to win the race itself, but the entire team did a great job. Quick turnaround times and did an awesome job responding to some adversity. I feel good about what we had, and we can take this information and learn from it. The whole Leatherwood Distillery Toyota team is going to be ready for an exciting weekend coming up at Pomona.”

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Final Result: Semifinals

Take us through your day today.

“Overall, it was a great weekend for the Capco Contractors Toyota dragster team. We’re leaving with the points lead heading to Pomona. We just need to keep this momentum going for a shot at the championship.”

About Toyota 

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands, and directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America (more than 49,000 in the U.S.).

Over the past 65 years, Toyota has assembled nearly 45 million cars and trucks in North America at the company’s 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, the company’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

Through our more than 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.), Toyota sold more than 2.4 million cars and trucks (more than 2.1 million in the U.S.) in 2022, of which, nearly one quarter were electrified vehicles (full battery, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).