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Essential Guide To Understand NASCAR in 2022

By
SM
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Best Offshore Sportsbooks for NASCAR

NASCAR remains one of the quintessential North American sports, and it remains fascinating for racing fans across the world even after all this time. There is nothing like the rumble of the jungle of cars on the oval, and the spectacle comes with great overtakes and even greater crashes.

Modern NASCAR seasons revolve around a complicated playoffs system that can take time and research for casual viewers, armchair experts, and excited punters alike. We’ve put together a summary for you to watch the next NASCAR race like a real pro!

NASCAR basics – everything you need to know

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series is the pinnacle of the competition, the 51st in the modern era and the 74th season in total. The Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series serve as the other two main competitions under the NASCAR banner, albeit with a somewhat lower prestige.

A recent acquisition of the franchise is the ARCA Menards Series, which they picked up in April 2018, a mix of touring and regular racing series tracks.

The 2022 season of each of the three national series featured the return of knockout-style practice and qualification sessions after their two-year absence to reduce travel days during the pandemic.

How is a NASCAR season organized?

Like many other American sports, a NASCAR season features a regular season that seeds the best-performing racers into a knockout playoffs portion. The NASCAR points system rewards racers for their overall race wins and performances across the stages.

So what are stages? Stage points in NASCAR are earned by finishing in the top ten of three mini-races across the main race. The first two stages comprise a quarter of the overall race length, with the third covering the rest. Charlotte’s Coca Cola 600 is an exception, with a whopping four stages, but apart from that one, basically every other race feature three stages.

NASCAR Playoffs: when the action really heats up

In total, there are 36 races in a NASCAR season. The sixteen drivers with the most wins over the 26-race regular season qualify for the playoffs as long as they’ve finished in the top 30 of the overall standings. At this point, the points totals are reset for the racers to 2000, with an extra point for each stage win and five bonus points for each race win.

The full NASCAR playoffs format is as follows:

  • Races 27-29 are the Round of 16, after which 4 racers are eliminated.
  • Races 30-32 are the Round of 12, after which 4 other racers are eliminated.
  • Races 33-35 are the Round of 8, after which 4 other racers are eliminated.
  • Race 36 is the Championship Final, featuring just the top four drivers.

A race win automatically advances a driver to the next round, and the points are reset repeatedly between the rounds.

NASCAR betting 101: the fun side of the sport

The best part of awesome sports like NASCAR is the growth of the many auxiliary fun activities. From food vendors on location to content creators worldwide and enterprising bettors looking to figure out the next big thing in the scene, NASCAR is about much more than just the races in the season.

NASCAR offers a wide variety of wagers for those interested in this side of the racing world. The complicated structure of the season allows for a wide variety of prop bets and other options beyond just gambling on the race winner for interested punters. 

There are many different NASCAR betting sites and strategies to consider: a great primer to get started with this is Safest Betting Sites, where you can find great summaries of NASCAR-related news and concepts.

The most notable NASCAR racers to follow

Many different racers in NASCAR are worth watching, but a few stand out from the crowd. For starters, Chase Elliott has been having an excellent season so far; he is trying to replicate his 2020 title win. Motorsport is quite literally in his blood as the younger member of the third father-son NASCAR champion pairing in history.

Ryan Blaney is also worth mentioning, as the Team Penske driver is also challenging for the top spots this time around. He’s also a descendant of racing legends, the son of Dave Blaney and the grandson of Lou Blaney. For movie buffs, he may be known for voicing Ryan “Inside” Laney in Cars 3.

There’s also Kurt Busch, whose recent Cup win at Kansas catapulted him back into the list of top contenders for the 2022 season. He’s always been there or thereabouts, and his dominance In 2019 is the stuff of legends, so there’s little reason to doubt that he will remain competitive.

Wrapping It Up

NASCAR remains an ever-evolving and exciting motorsport, a one-of-a-kind experience that keeps on continuing as the decades roll by. If you haven’t yet been involved with the NASCAR scene, this is a great time to jump into the action. Whether you’re looking to follow the races as a fan or as a bettor, 2022 offers exciting new opportunities. 

For more information about betting news and strategies, visit SBS!

Castroneves’ Drive for Five in Spotlight among 106th Indianapolis 500 Field

By
Official Release
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Eight ‘500’ Winners To Compete in ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ May 29

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 16, 2022) – Eight winners are among the field of 33 drivers assigned to cars for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Helio Castroneves’ quest to become the first five-time winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” taking center stage during the Month of May.

Four-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021), two-time winners Juan Pablo Montoya (2000, 2015) and Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019) are the past winners aiming for another victory this year. The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992.

Castroneves joined A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – with his emotional victory May 30, 2021 in the No. 06 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. Castroneves, 47, remains with Meyer Shank this season for his drive for five and would become the third-oldest winner in Indianapolis 500 history – behind Al Unser and Bobby Unser – with a victory this year.

Brazilian native Castroneves also is trying to become the first repeat winner since he achieved the feat with his first two victories, in 2001 and 2002. BorgWarner is offering a $400,000 bonus this year to Castroneves if he can achieve back-to-back victories.

The field includes seven past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Kanaan, Montoya, Josef Newgarden, reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou, Pagenaud and Power.

Seven drivers also will compete for Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Rookie of the Year honors, the biggest rookie crop since 2014, when there also were seven first-time starters. This year’s group includes the high-profile debuts of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean and also includes Devlin DeFrancesco, Callum Ilott, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard and David Malukas.

Andretti Autosport and Chip Ganassi Racing each have entered five cars, the most of any team.

Practice opens Tuesday, May 17 and runs through Friday, May 20. PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22, followed by a two-hour practice Monday, May 23. The traditional final practice, two hours again this year on Miller Lite Carb Day, will be held Friday, May 27.

Live Race Day coverage begins on NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.

2022 ENTRY BREAKDOWN:

Winners (8): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato

Rookies (7): Devlin DeFrancesco, Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, David Malukas

U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, JR Hildebrand, Jimmie Johnson, Sage Karam, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Alexander Rossi

International drivers (20, from 14 countries): Helio Castroneves, Devlin DeFrancesco, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean, Jack Harvey, Callum Ilott, Tony Kanaan, Dalton Kellett, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Pato O’Ward, Simon Pagenaud, Alex Palou, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Rinus VeeKay, Stefan Wilson

Engines (33): Honda 17, Chevrolet 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires)

Carolina Panthers’ DJ Moore Named Honorary Pace Car Driver for Coca-Cola 600

By
Official Release
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  • The 25-year-old standout wide receiver will pace the field in the official Toyota Camry TRD pace car ahead of the historic 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29
  • Tickets to the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29 are available online or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267) starting at just $49; Kids 12 and under get in for just $10; Admission includes a pre-race concert by Lynyrd Skynyrd and a patriotic salute to the U.S. Armed Forces – start at just $49; kids 12 and under get in for just $12

CONCORD, N.C. (May 16, 2022) – Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore has been part of some high-pressure drives during his NFL career, but this Memorial Day Weekend, the fifth-year veteran will trade his football helmet for a racing helmet when he leads the field to green as the honorary pace car driver for the 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 29.

Moore will join an all-star cast of current and former Panthers to serve in dignitary roles at America’s Home for Racing, joining Christian McCaffrey, Greg Olsen and Thomas Davis who have helped bring the NASCAR crown jewel event to life through the years behind the wheel of the Toyota Camry TRD pace car.

“Big time players make big time plays on big stages,” Moore said. “I’m used to pulling away from guys on the field, but it’s going to be totally different being out front of the Coca-Cola 600. I can’t wait to get the party started.”

Moore ranks fourth in Panthers franchise history with 4,313 career receiving yards and sixth in franchise history with 301 career receptions. He is the only NFL wide receiver with at least 1,200 scrimmage yards in each of the last three seasons (2019-21), and is just the third Panther ever with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (Steve Smith Sr. and Greg Olsen).

Prior to watching Moore lead the 40-car field to the green flag, Coca-Cola 600 ticketholders will also enjoy a FREE pre-race concert featuring the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of group Lynyrd Skynyrd and a rousing display of patriotism as NASCAR salutes the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces in a spectacular pre-race event on the eve of Memorial Day.

TICKETS:
Tickets are still available for the May 27-29 Coca-Cola 600 Weekend, with three-day packages starting at $99. Weekend tickets for children ages 12 and under are just $10. Fans can purchase tickets online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Admission to Circle K Speed Street concerts by Flo-Rida (Friday) and The Steve Miller Band (Saturday) is free with any race ticket. Sunday’s Lynyrd Skynyrd pre-race concert is free with purchase of a Coca-Cola 600 race ticket.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch won Stage 1 at Kansas and overcame a speeding penalty to post a third at Kansas, leading a Joe Gibbs Racing 3-4-5-6 finish.

“I can’t be too satisfied with a third,” Busch said. “Sure, third place is good, but I finished last among all Busch’s, and last among all Kyle’s.”

2. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished seventh at Kansas and is fifth in the points standings.

“Kurt Busch said he had to race like the ‘GOAT,” Chastain said, “in reference to his car owner Michael Jordan. In other words, at Kansas, Kurt drove like Michael Jordan the basketball player. In his previous four races, in which he had zero top 10s, he must have driven like Michael Jordan the baseball player.”

3. Chase Elliott: Elliott suffered a flat tire on Lap 196 that sent him spinning into the grass. After repairs, Elliott continued and limped home to a 29th-place finish.

“After blowing a tire and spinning into the grass,” Elliott said, “I said, ‘We’re not in this race anymore.’ Luckily, when I leave this state, I can happily say, ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore.'”

4. Alex Bowman: Bowman hit Bubba Wallace’s uncontrolled tire on pit lane midway through the race, but recovered to post a solid ninth at Kansas.

“In this sport,” Bowman said, “you have to be at your best when the rubber hits the road,” Bowman said. “But what really tests your mettle is how you react when the rubber hits back.”

5. Kyle Larson: Larson led 29 laps and led late at Kansas, but couldn’t repel the charge of Kurt Busch, who slipped past Larson for the lead with nine laps left. Larson held on for second.

“I thought I could hold Kurt off,” Larson said. “But to his credit, he pounced on the opening when I left it there. And since Kurt was driving that ‘Jordan Brand’ Toyota, you can confidently say ‘The man can jump … on an opportunity.'”

6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 12th at Kansas.

“What a drive by Kurt Busch,” Blaney said. “It was just Kurt’s day. His car had the ‘Jordan Brand’ paint scheme, so he had the power of Michael Jordan with him. Sure, M.J. has a gambling problem, but I think that’s the reason why he got into racing, so he could say, ‘My money’s on Kurt Busch,’ and it was totally legit.”

7. Joey Logano: Logano finished 17th at Kansas.

“I’m sure William Byron was looking for an opportunity to get revenge on me for spinning him at Darlington,” Logano said. “What Willy B. doesn’t understand is that I’ve pretty famous for my long neck and that long neck is well-exercised in looking over my shoulder.”

8. William Byron: Byron finished 16th at Kansas.

“That was one spot in front of Joey Logano,” Byron said. “That’s exactly where I was at Darlington when he bumped me out of the lead. And I definitely haven’t forgotten about that. So seeing Logano in my rearview mirror is something I haven’t put in my rearview mirror.”

9. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex fought back from a lap down to record a solid sixth at Kansas as all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers finished in the top 10.

“It’s pretty impressive for us to put all 4 in the top 10,” Truex said. “But all the credit should go to Denny Hamlin because he’s been the one not finishing in the top 10.”

10. Kurt Busch: Busch got past Kyle Larson with nine laps to go and held on to win the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas.

“That’s my first win with 23XI Racing,” Busch said. “Appropriately enough, my No. 45 Toyota sported the ‘Jordan Brand’ paint scheme. So I have to thank M.J. for having the confidence in me to allow me to drive a car backed by his iconic brand. It was the ultimate ‘vertical leap of faith.'”

Jr III Racing Earns Another Podium at Mid Ohio

By
Official Release
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Charlotte-based racing team continues success in two IMSA series

Lexington, Ohio (15 May 2022) – Jr III Racing, the Charlotte-based racing team and full-service automotive shop, successfully completed a double-duty weekend with three cars on the entry list between the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and the IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC). The Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio weekend was a productive one for the team, with a competitive outing in IPC on Sunday morning ahead of a run to the podium and provisional points lead in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Jr III Racing Leads LMP3 Championship Points

After a two-month hiatus with the LMP3 class, Garett Grist and Ari Balogh picked up right where they left off in Sebring as they took the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 to the podium. Good race pace, well-executed pit stops and strategy, and some prudent fuel saving all added up for a run to second place.

Balogh opened the race from behind the wheel and managed both his pace and the extensive traffic in the four-class event to make forward progress up the timing charts. Grist took over the controls and returned to action sixth in the order before moving up to second on board the No. 30 Ligier.

Grist navigated multiple contacts during his two stints but was able to keep making progress. That rough and tumble action continued through the last lap as he was hit off track and into the grass, but was able to recover to cross the line in second to come home with a second consecutive runner-up finish after the team opened the year with a run to second in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Jr III Racing now leads by seven points in the provisional IMSA LMP3 class championship points. This is the third WeatherTech Championship podium in a row for the fairly new racing team, including the second place finishes at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March and the 2021 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta

“You know, luckily we didn’t run out of fuel in the end so we just got home,” said Grist. “It was an amazing call by the team. Once again, great pit stops by the guys and car prep is always 100%. Ari’s (Balogh) stint was incredible, just incredible. We made massive improvements all weekend long. With second again, that’s three WeatherTech races in a row, all three of our WeatherTech races second too.”

Jr III Racing will return at Watkins Glen International for the six-hour endurance race during the weekend of June 24-26.

Mental Skills Training App Sevwins Partners with Jack Wood At Texas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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STATESVILLE, NC: GMS Racing is proud to announce a new partnership with Sevwins, a mental skills training app that offers unique coaching centered around athlete’s minds rather than their bodies. The app will serve as Wood’s primary partner for the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Sevwins challenges athletes to better themselves in every facet of life – whether that be exercising their mind and growing their vocabulary from reading, or by giving back to the community that they are a part of. Essentially, their coaching prompts athletes to focus on themselves for one minute every day to prepare their minds for success in competition and life. The app has helped thousands of athletes excel in their field, in addition to improving GPA scores and overall happiness.

Jack Wood is an active user on the Sevwins platform, and attributes some of his ability on track to lessons learned from the app. “The first step to bring your best at something is to get better every day. Sevwins has allowed me to focus on my skill sets to constantly improve, push myself, and strive for more. I truly believe it has been instrumental to my growth as a professional race car driver.” said the driver.

This weekend’s race will mark Wood’s first start at the 1.5-mile track in Fort Worth, so having the ability to train himself from a mental aspect is crucial. Coaching from Sevwins will play a key role in his pre-race preparation.

Matt French, Co-Founder of Sevwins, looks forward to partnering with the team, stating this ahead of the announcement: “As a Sevwins cofounder and college coach, I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of professional and amateur athletes. From the moment I met Jack, I knew he was different. He’s as charismatic and thoughtful as they come. He has vision on the track and in life. Jack is a perfect match for Sevwins and the example of what’s possible when you link preparation with being in the moment, followed by reflection. He is the definition of ‘1% BETTER TODAY’. We are thrilled about the opportunity to learn from Jack’s experiences as one of the premier Sevwins Athletes.”

The No. 24 Sevwins Chevrolet Silverado RST will make its on-track debut in the SpeedyCash.com 200 on Friday, May 20th. Be sure to stay in touch with Jack Wood by following him along across all social media platforms at his official handle @DriverJackWood.

ABOUT SEVWINS:

Sevwins is a simple, yet powerful app that prepares professional and amateur athletes to reach their potential in competition and in life. Whether pushing a race car to the limit, hitting a fastball, or building the person you want to become, Sevwins strengthens the mind and character to excel. Daily challenges lead athletes to small commitments, intentional actions and big wins. Coaches see the mindset of the individual and team so they can create meaningful conversations.

Top college coaches, mental skills pros and technology executives united with one purpose: to prepare young adults to thrive. The result of this joint effort is Sevwins – the first athlete character development app. And it’s working. Sevwins athletes are more accountable, committed, and focused. They improve their happiness by 25%, are 42% more likely to reach their goals, and boost academic GPAs by 0.5. Get 1% better today – and every day after. Try Sevwins free for 28 days.

Visit www.sevwins.com/racing or follow us on Twitter and Instagram @sevwins.

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operating the No. 23 and the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs, as well as the ARCA Menards Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet SS. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA Menards Series East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for Petty GMS, a two car full-time NASCAR Cup Series team formed in 2021.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Kansas Speedway

By
Official Release
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Post-Race Report | Kansas Speedway
AdventHealth 400


Noah Gragson, No. 16 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1

Start: 28th
Stage 1 Finish: 26th
Stage 2 Finish: 16th
Finish: 18th

“We had a good day with this No. 16 Chevy Accessories Camaro ZL1 and solid pit stops. It was fun to race in the top 10 and really use the day as a learning experience for not only myself, but for the team. Hopefully it will help us for the next few races we have together coming up.” – Noah Gragson


Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

Start: 15th
Stage 1 Finish: 35th
Stage 2 Finish: 35th
Finish: 35th

“It was a trying weekend for us here on this No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection team. We had some technical issues through inspection but the guys worked hard all weekend to get them fixed. We had a decent qualifying run with some good speed in the race but just ran into multiple issues with an eventual electrical problem that ended our day. I appreciate everyone at Kaulig Racing for the fight.” – Justin Haley


About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. They will continue fielding three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins, Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team made multiple starts in the NCS in 2021 and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The young team has acquired two charters for the 2022 NCS season, with Justin Haley competing as its first, full-time driver in the series. The team’s second entry will be shared by part-time teammates AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Tony Stewart Racing: Event Recap for the Virginia NHRA Nationals

By
Official Release
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Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Virginia NHRA Nationals
May 13-15 | North Dinwiddie, Virginia

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Mobil 1 Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 6 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.754 ET at 318.92 mph).
● Earned No. 9 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q2 on Saturday, Pruett ran an 11.192 ET at 67.70 mph.
● Secured No. 10 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q1 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Pruett ran an 8.187 ET at 82.96 mph.
● Ran a 7.253 ET at 129.35 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Sunday, lost to Doug Kalitta (5.995 ET at 234.33 mph).
● Currently 13th in the Top Fuel championship standings, 363 points behind points leader Brittany Force.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 1 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.914 ET at 335.82 mph).
● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.
● Earned No. 2 qualifying position in Q2 on Saturday (3.890 ET at 329.50 mph).
● Scored two bonus points for second-quickest run of the session.
● Secured No. 8 qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.924 ET at 329.34 mph).
● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.
● Advanced to Finals on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 3.964 ET at 328.38 mph in a bye.

●  Round 2: 3.965 ET at 322.65 mph, defeated Chad Green (4.021 ET at 317.05 mph).

●  Semifinal: 3.955 ET at 327.03 mph, defeated John Force (17.817 ET at 60.67 mph).

●  Final: 3.948 ET at 327.59 mph, lost to Robert Hight (3.907 ET at 328.86 mph).

● Currently leads the Funny Car championship standings with a 15-point advantage over Robert Hight.

Notes of Interest

● The Virginia NHRA Nationals marked Hagan’s milestone 300th career Funny Car start, and it came in his home state. Hagan is from Christiansburg, Virginia, located 190 miles west of the track.

● Hagan’s 335.82 mph run in Friday’s qualifying session set a new track speed record by nearly 10 mph. Hight was the previous record holder win a run of 326.32 mph in May 2019.

● Hagan’s 3.853 ET run in Saturday’s Q3 session set a new track ET record. Force was the previous record holder with a 3.899 ET in May 2019.

● The No. 1 qualifying position Hagan earned on Friday was his second No. 1 spot this season, the 44th of his career and his first at Virginia Motorsports Park.

● Hagan’s final round appearance was the 76th of his career. He has advanced to the finals in five out of the first seven NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events in 2022.

● Pruett had a quick .042 of a second reaction time in Round 1 of eliminations, besting the .057 of a second start time of her opponent, Doug Kalitta. Both Pruett and Kalitta immediately began smoking their tires, but it was Kalitta who wound up besting Pruett in the pedalfest.

● Pruett’s Mobil 1 livery and Hagan’s Smithfield paint scheme incorporated a patriotic theme in support of Military Appreciation Month, which is celebrated every May. Pruett’s Top Fuel dragster also highlighted Sparkling Ice’s Cheers to Heroes program, which is running now through the end of July. Customers can turn Sparkling Ice purchases into donations toward Honor Flight and Homes for Our Troops. TSR salutes all those who serve and have served, and honors the sacrifices made by service members and their families.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Mobil 1 Top Fuel Dragster

“Once I got off the line, I knew I hit the throttle good and we smoked the tires and going back to the last race when I smoked, I had a different strategy of coming back off and feathering it and feathering it, and I couldn’t regain traction. I’ve got to say, for Mobil 1, Dodge, Tony (Stewart), GEARWRENCH and everyone that’s backing us right now, clearly we are going to get it. That run is frustrating, for sure, but not every run is going to be a record-breaking run. The fans are out here to watch a show. That’s a different type of show, but we’re going to take another deep breath, digest it and keep working on it. I’m happy I’m doing my job and my team is doing their job. Once it comes together, it’s going to be lethal. I guarantee you that.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“It was another amazing weekend in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. We had a new sponsor on the car with Smithfield and got those folks crossed over from NASCAR a little bit. We went to the finals again and got to race Robert Hight. It’s going to be a fun season throwing down against him. It was special since it was my 300th career start, and it came right here in my home state of Virginia. Our car is running great and we’ve been to so many finals already and won two races, so I know there is more to come. We obviously wanted to win this weekend, but we’re going to be back in the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car soon and be applying that power. I just want to say thank you to the fans for coming out and supporting us. The stands were packed. Thank you all for the love and we’re going to keep working hard to turn on those win lights.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA New England Nationals June 3-5 at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.

Hagan Powers Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from No. 1 Qualifier to Runner-up Finish at Virginia Nationals

By
Official Release
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Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals
  • Matt Hagan drove the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to a fifth final elimination round appearance in seven National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) national events and earned his third runner-up finish of the season for Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) at the Virginia Nationals
  • The Virginia-native put his Smithfield Dodge//SRT Funny Car atop the eliminations ladder at his home race for his 300th career start with a track record elapsed time run of 3.853 seconds at 331.45 mph after also eclipsing the track record speed with his first qualifying run at 335.82 mph.
  • Hagan’s 35th career runner-up finish keeps him in the Funny Car championship points lead ahead of event winner Robert Hight
  • Cruz Pedregon continued his streak of solid qualifying performances by putting his Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat No. 4 on the eliminations ladder at Virginia Motorsports Park, his sixth top-five qualifying position this season, and advancing to his team’s fifth quarterfinal appearance of the year
  • Leah Pruett qualified No. 10 for the Virginia Nationals aboard her Mobile 1 Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster but found herself in a first round pedal-fest for a second time this season

May 15, 2022, Dinwiddie, Virginia —Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) made its fifth Funny Car final elimination round appearance in seven National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series events with pilot Matt Hagan driving his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from the No. 1 qualifier position to a runner-up finish at the Virginia Nationals in his 300th career start.

After a three-year absence from Virginia Motorsports Park, the NHRA returned to Hagan’s home track, located 190 miles from his stomping grounds in Christiansburg, Virginia, where the Dodge//SRT Funny Car driver wasted no time in setting the track speed record at 335.82 mph with his first lap, eclipsing the previous mark set in 2019 (John Force/326.32 mph) by nearly 10 mph. 

The Smithfield Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat continued to improve with every run as Hagan laid down solid passes of 3.914, 3.890, and a track record elapsed time run of 3.853 seconds to secure the No. 1 qualifier position, his second of the season and 45th of his career, and was rewarded with a first-round bye to kick off eliminations.

The three-time world champion worked his way past No. 9 seed Chad Green in the quarterfinals and then watched No. 12 qualifier John Force double-step and foul out of their semifinal match-up to advance to his fifth final round appearance of the year.

Looking to add to the Wally trophies already earned this year at the Gatornationals in Gainesville Florida, and Springnationals in Houston, Texas, the Funny Car points leader lined up for the final against No. 10 seed Robert Hight, who also has two wins under his belt and is stalking Hagan from second spot in the championship standings.

Hagan’s Dodge//SRT machine had the starting line advantage then battled side-by-side with his opponent until mid-track when Hight edged ahead to turn on the win light. Hagan’s third runner-up finish of the year, and 35th of his career, keeps him atop the Funny Car championship standings ahead of the race winner.

Fellow HEMI-powered Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon put his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car No. 4 on the eliminations ladder on the strength of his final qualifying pass at 3.905 seconds at 323.27 mph. It was the Cruz Pedregon Racing team’s sixth top-five qualifying performance in seven national events.

Pedregon kicked off his race day against No. 13 seed Phil Burkart by driving straight down the grove with a respectable pass for the warm track conditions to take the round win. He was paired against Force for a quarterfinal battle, but when Pedregon’s car immediately lost traction at the launch, his race day came to a quicker end than anticipated.

TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett recorded two solid qualifying passes to put her Mobile 1 Dodge//SRT dragster No. 10 on the eliminations ladder for Sunday’s Virginia Nationals with a best lap of 3.754 seconds at 318.92 mph, and set up a first round pairing against No. 7 seed Doug Kalitta. 

A quick 0.042-second reaction time gave Pruett the advantage on her opponent’s 0.057-second start but almost immediately both began to smoke the tires. Similar to what happened to her in the opening round at Houston’s Springnationals, she found herself in a pedal-fest against Kalitta. Hoping to regain traction, Pruett hit the throttle several times, even sending her ride sideways, as her opponent did the same, but unfortunately she was unable to get to the finish first. 

The NHRA’s next event, the New England Nationals, will take place June 3-5 at New England Dragway near Epping, New Hampshire,  the eighth of 22 national events on the schedule this season.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES:

Leah Pruett, Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster 

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.754 seconds at 318.92 mph)

Round 1: (0.042-second reaction time, 7.253 seconds at 129.35 mph) loss to No. 7 Doug Kalitta (0.057/5.995/234.33)

“Once I got off the line, I knew I hit [the throttle] good but we smoked the tires, and thinking back to the last race when I smoked [the tires], I had a different strategy of coming back off and feathering it and feathering it, but I couldn’t regain traction. I’ve got to say, for Mobil 1, Dodge, Tony (Stewart), GEARWRENCH and everyone that’s backing us right now, clearly we are going to get it. That run is frustrating, for sure, but not every run is going to be a record-breaking run. The fans are out here to watch a show. That’s a different type of show, but we’re going to take another deep breath, digest it and keep working on it. I’m happy I’m doing my job and my team is doing their job. Once it comes together, it’s going to be lethal, I guarantee you that.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.853 seconds at 331.45 mph)

Round 1: (0.072-second reaction time, 3.964 seconds at 328.38 mph) bye run

Round 2: (0.090/3.965/322.65) defeats No. 9 Chad Green (0.096/4.021/317.05)

Round 3: (-0.036/3.955/327.03) defeats No. 12 John Force (-0.323/17.817/60.67)

Round 4:  (0.070/3.948/327.59) loss to No. 10 Robert Hight (0.075/3.907/328.86)

“It was another amazing weekend in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. We had a new sponsor on the car with Smithfield and got those folks crossed over from NASCAR a little bit. We went to the finals again and got to race Robert Hight. It’s going to be a fun season throwing down against him. It was special since it was my 300th career start in Virginia. Our car is running great and we’ve been to so many finals already and won two races, so I know there is more to come. We obviously wanted to win this weekend, but we’re going to be back in the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car soon and be applying that power. I just want to say thank you to the fans for coming out and supporting us. The stands were packed. Thank you all for the love and we’re going to keep working hard to turn on those win lights.”

Cruz Pedregon, Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 4 Qualifier – 3.905 seconds at 323.27 mph)

Round 1: (0.092-second reaction time, 4.038 seconds at 317.57 mph) defeats No. 13 Phil Burkart (0.117/11.252/72.81)

Round 2: (0.051/10.719/75.87) loss to No. 12 John Force (0.008/3.992/329.91)

We did a good job of qualifying the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the NO. 4 spot and went onto the quarter finals where we lost to John Force. We spun the tires on that run at the hit of the throttle, which was unusual for us, but we were pressing. We were trying to be aggressive and the racetrack didn’t hold the power we had. We’ll go back and regroup and get ready for the next event. It was one of those races where the conditions went from cooler, rainy, high humidity to warmer on Sunday. Some teams adjusted well and we were good. We were just not quite where we needed to be. So we’ll learn from it, move on and, and get things ready to go for Epping which should be a good race for us. We’re still maintaining that top five position in points. The great thing that I am most proud of is that the team continues to have that qualifying performance every week. It’s top four, top three, top five nearly every race weekend and that’s really tough to do in today’s Funny Car competition with all the cars running so close. So we’re going to hang our hat on that and we’re going to keep digging and be ready for the next one.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 673 (2)

2.  Robert Hight: 658 (3)

3.  Ron Capps: 561 (1)

4.  John Force: 447

5.  Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 395

6.  Bob Tasca III: 354

7.  J.R. Todd: 331

8.  Chad Green: 321

9.  Alexis DeJoria: 310

10. Tim Wilkerson: 277

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Brittany Force: 605 (3)

2.  Steve Torrence: 524 

3.  Mike Salinas: 521 (2)

4.  Justin Ashley: 468 (1)

5.  Austin Prock: 367

6.  Clay Millican: 365

7. Josh Hart: 345 

8.  Doug Kalitta: 316

9. Tony Schumacher: 295

10. Shawn Langdon: 269

13. Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 242

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over nearly 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com/

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: @Dodgemoparmotorsports, @dodgeofficial and @officialmopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Petty GMS Race Recap: Kansas Speedway

By
Official Release
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Ty Dillon, No. 42 ChevyLiners.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 17th
FINISH: 20th
POINTS: 26th

Ty Dillon Post-Race Thoughts: “Proud of the effort from everyone on our ChevyLiners.com team. As a group, we had a solid Saturday to kickstart our weekend and secured our best starting position on a mile and a half. During the race, our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was good on the long run, but struggled to fire off. Other guys could drive it into the corner way harder than I could, which would cost us track position during a race where it was relatively hard to pass. The last adjustment that we made woke up the car and we’ll make note of that for our intermediate program notebook. My pit crew was awesome today though. Every stop they were gaining four or five positions. They had to be the fastest crew on pit road. We will now head to Texas and try to race our way into the main show.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 22nd
FINISH: 32nd
POINTS: 17th

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: “Our FOCUSfactor Chevy was decent today. We started out pretty good, but a little on the free side. The guys made good changes and made a pit call to get us in the top 10 and stage points at the end of stage one. Unfortunately, we had the issue with our tire and getting the right rear off. That kind of ended our day after going multiple laps down. We’ll refocus and head to Texas for the All-Star race.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

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