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TOYOTA RACING – NCS Michigan Quotes – Erik Jones – 06.06.26

By
Official Release
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TOYOTA RACING – Erik Jones
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 6, 2026) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Michigan International Speedway.

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

How much have you dove into San Diego and what are your early impressions of it?

“Quite a bit since we’ve got the finalized track over the last month, we’ve done a large amount of sim. The sim on the oval side is valuable, but when you are going to a place like San Diego from a driver’s standpoint, there is just so much more to gain. Our big focus has been a quite a bit of time there, but as far as the track. I think in a lot of ways it is similar to Chicago. Obviously, it is way bigger and way more turns, but there is a couple of good passing zones. It is extremely rough. I don’t know what that is going to be like – it is hard to guess on a grip level and how much grip it is really going to have. We thought going into Chicago it would be really slick and challenging, and Chicago had more grip than most any other road course that we went to, so just a lot of unknowns, but as far as the track layout. It took me a long time to memorize it. It took me a while to get up to speed and all of the visuals, especially in the sim, are really challenging. Everything just looks like a 90-degree turn and you can’t really tell which way that you are trying to go half of the time, so it takes a while to get up to speed on that, but as far as the track, I think it is okay. It is just rough. We will just have to see where that is.”

Do you think anyone will end up in the Bay?

“I hope not (laughter). If I end up in the Bay, I may just have to call it quits. I don’t think I would race again after that.”

Where is your late model program at right now, and what does it mean to race close to home?

“It is fun. I always look forward to this week and get some bonus time up here next week, spending a couple of days over there at Berlin. We’ve got the same group that we’ve had. We have our car, and we run three or four races a year and it is always hard. It is never easy to show up and try to compete against those guys, especially at Berlin. They do it all of the time over there. The majority of the guys that run, especially the 150, it is not easy to go and compete with them. I felt like – I came up and tested up here about a month ago, and the car was really good. Hopefully, it is as good as it was then. We just – me and one other guy, Mike, we go over the setup and come up with something and go have some fun with it. But it is definitely enjoyable either way. Obviously, you want to run well, but just being there and working with my group of friends is fun.”

Can you talk about how LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has grown and how will grow in the future with three full-time teams next season?

“We are on a great stretch with the 43, and we are making a lot of points and running well. We are running right at the backside of the top-10 which is a step up for us, which is good. I think going to three cars, at the end of the day, it is a value. It is another data point, but the caveat to that, the challenge of it – we need to hire 60 people, approximately, if not more. Finding 60 people in today’s climate of NASCAR is not easy. I think that is the biggest thing we are going to have to work through. Beyond that, just integrating with the new team, new driver, new crew chief and figuring out what they need and how they are going to bring value to the program. Obviously, when you have three cars, you want them all to run well. You can’t have one car or two cars excelling, and one guy lagging behind or vice versa. So, you have to work towards having three strong teams, which is tough and you see it in every organization. One or two guys might excel, and one guy is trying to play catch up. So, a lot of challenges there, but I think the biggest challenge is the hiring process. Just going through and finding that many good people. It will be a long road for us.”

With the announcement of celebrity ownership, what does that mean for the team and help you secure sponsorship?

“Obviously, the world of partnerships have changed a lot. Not just in the last 10 years, but the last five years. I would say it has changed a lot, and the visibility that it brings is great, but beyond that, it is just the vision that I think Jimmie (Johnson, owner, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB) has for the team. Jimmie really dives in hard on the marketing, sponsorship, the presence side of the race team, and really wants to focus and grow that. I think that the ownership side, he sees a lot of value in growing that partnership group, and what they can bring to the table as far as that visibility for partners, and what that brings to them. I have been really fortunate the last few years to have a couple of great partners between AdventHealth and Dollar Tree, just stepping up and doing a lot for me. We need to keep the program funded as far as going to three cars, and long into the future. I think in today’s world and in our sport – it’s not just our sport, but every sport. It is not enough to say that we are a race team, and we just show up to the track and race, and you can put your sticker on the car, and that is value. There has to be more to it than that. There has to be experiences and opportunities for them to come to the track and have something unique. I think that is branching out farther down that road for them to provide a great experience for a partner.”

How would you evaluate LEGACY MOTOR CLUB from this point last year to this year?

“I think we are in a better spot. It’s funny, I looked at the points position at this point last year, and we aren’t a whole lot different, but I think as a group we are running consistently better. We’ve had a great stretch here for a month of showing up each week and having good cars and running well. A couple of execution things have kept us from a few better finishes, and some strange strategies have kept us from some stage points, especially last week in Nashville. I think overall, we are in a better spot. I think there are so many little things that we can do better still, which is frustrating but good. To have performance like we are currently having, and know there are little things that we need to work on and improve, there is value in that. For me, yeah, I’ve been happy with the direction, happy with my team, and Justin (Alexander, crew chief), and the engineers and the pit crews have been great. Everyone has been working really well together, but historically too, this has been a good stretch for me, just the tracks and how they line up. I think if we get through San Diego and Sonoma after Pocono, and see where we sit, will be really more of a tell-tell of our Chase hopes. I think we are in a better spot than last year, and I’m definitely happy with the direction.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ty Majeski wins second Truck pole of 2026 at Michigan

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Ty Majeski sealed the pole position for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, June 6.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-truck, single-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the competitors vying for starting spots cycled around Michigan International Speedway once to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posted the single fastest lap was awarded the pole position.

In Saturday’s qualifying session, Majeski, who was the 14th-fastest competitor during Saturday morning’s practice session, posted his fastest qualifying lap at 183.407 mph in 39.257 seconds. Majeski’s lap was enough for the 2024 Truck Series champion from Seymour, Wisconsin, to claim the top-starting spot for Saturday afternoon’s main event at the Irish Hills in Brooklyn, Michigan.

With the pole, Majeski achieved his 13th Truck Series career pole, his second of the 2026 season, his first since this year’s season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway and his second driving the No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 entry for ThorSport Racing. Having notched a pair of 15th-place results in two Truck starts at Michigan, Majeski will strive to contend for his first victory of the 2026 season.

Majeski will share the front row with Christopher Bell, the latter of whom is making his fourth Truck start in the No. 62 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry and is pulling double-duty roles alongside his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE entry in the Cup Series division. Bell posted his fastest lap at 183.057 mph in 39.332 seconds.

Chandler Smith, teammate Layne Riggs (winner of the two recent Truck events at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway) and Connor Mosack will start in the top five, respectively. Carson Hocevar, Cole Butcher, Giovanni Ruggiero (fastest in Saturday’s practice), Jake Garcia and Spencer Davis completed the top-10 starting grid, respectively.

Notably, Stewart Friesen, Ross Chastain, Kaden Honeycutt, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Corey Heim, Parker Kligerman, Cleetus McFarland, Mini Tyrrell, Frankie Muniz and Ben Rhodes will start 12th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 25th, 29th, 30th, 31st and 35th, respectively. In addition, Tanner Gray was the lone competitor who did not post a qualifying time after his entry sustained a flat tire during practice. As a result, Gray’s entry was towed from the track and he will take the green flag at the tail end of the field in 36th.

With 36 competitors vying for 36 starting spots, all made the main event.

Michigan – Qualifying Position, Best Speed, Best Time:

  1. Ty Majeski, 183.407 mph, 39.257 seconds
  2. Christopher Bell, 183.057 mph, 39.332 seconds
  3. Chandler Smith, 182.973 mph, 39.350 seconds
  4. Layne Riggs, 182.904 mph, 39.365 seconds
  5. Connor Mosack, 182.820 mph, 39.383 seconds
  6. Carson Hocevar, 182.593 mph, 39.432 seconds
  7. Cole Butcher, 182.584 mph, 39.434 seconds
  8. Giovanni Ruggiero, 182.482 mph, 39.456 seconds
  9. Jake Garcia, 182.242 mph, 39.508 seconds
  10. Spencer David, 182.172 mph, 39.523 seconds
  11. Grant Enfinger, 182.154 mph, 39.527 seconds
  12. Stewart Friesen, 182.089 mph, 39.541 seconds
  13. Tyler Ankrum, 182.089 mph, 39.541 seconds
  14. Corey LaJoie, 182.020 mph, 39.556 seconds
  15. Ross Chastain, 182.002 mph, 39.560 seconds
  16. Dawson Sutton, 181.924 mph, 39.577 seconds
  17. Kaden Honeycutt, 181.892 mph, 39.584 seconds
  18. Andres Perez De Lara, 181.841 mph, 39.595 seconds
  19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 181.809 mph, 39.602 seconds
  20. Christian Eckes, 181.703 mph, 39.625 seconds
  21. Brenden Queen, 181.534 mph, 39.662 seconds
  22. Justin Haley, 181.438 mph, 39.683 seconds
  23. Corey Heim, 181.401 mph, 39.691 seconds
  24. Daniel Hemric, 180.768 mph, 39.830 seconds
  25. Parker Kligerman, 180.727 mph, 39.839 seconds
  26. Daniel Dye, 180.591 mph, 39.869 seconds
  27. Kris Wright, 180.230 mph, 39.949 seconds
  28. Spencer Boyd, 180.198 mph, 39.956 seconds
  29. Cleetus McFarland, 180.167 mph, 39.963 seconds
  30. Mini Tyrrell, 179.978 mph, 40.005 seconds
  31. Frankie Muniz, 179.547 mph, 40.101 seconds
  32. Josh Reaume, 179.113 mph, 40.198 seconds
  33. Morgen Baird, 177.126 mph, 40.649 seconds
  34. Caleb Costner, 173.997 mph, 41.380 seconds
  35. Ben Rhodes, 161.410 mph, 44.607 seconds
  36. Tanner Gray, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds.

The 2026 DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway is scheduled to occur on Saturday, June 6, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

LANGDON, DEJORIA & ANDERSON CLAW TO TOP OF NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS PRESENTED BY BPROAUTO

By
Official Release
-

EPPING, N.H. (June 5, 2026) – Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon continued his torrid pace under the lights on Friday at New England Dragway, rolling to the provisional No. 1 qualifier position – and claiming the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA – at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto.

Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the eighth of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Langdon, who has won three straight races and four of the past six, powered to the top with a run of 3.709-seconds at 334.98 mph to close out Friday’s action in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air dragster for Kalitta Motorsports. The past world champion has been virtually unbeatable since late March and is now after his second straight No. 1 qualifier and fourth overall during what has already been a stellar 2026 season.

“It’s a great feeling. These guys have worked so hard the last couple of years and it’s nice to finally see the dividends of all that hard work show up on the scoreboard,” Langdon said. “I used to be a fan of those teams where you knew Friday night they were going to throw down. Now that’s our story and that’s a pretty cool feeling.”

“Brian (Husen, crew chief) is the opposite of complacent. He’s always pushing, always looking for the next thing, always trying to be better. I feel like that mindset is across the entire team right now. There’s really good chemistry going on. We did a really good job adapting to the conditions today, and then with the night run, we knew we had to step on it.”

Leah Pruett is right behind in the second spot after a run of 3.712 at and Josh Hart is third thanks to a 3.724 at 337.92.

In Funny Car, Alexis DeJoria has already enjoyed a solid start to her 2026 campaign and now she has an opportunity to pick up her first No. 1 qualifier in five years after putting together a run of 3.929 at 312.42 under the lights in her 12,000-horsepower Bandero Café Chevrolet SS for John Force Racing.

Her last top qualifier came in 2021 at Bristol, but DeJoria is in a great position to change that and earn her seventh career No. 1 spot. Friday’s stellar run also handed the veteran the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA, something she hopes will lead to her first victory of the season on Sunday.

“Right now, we’re No. 1 and that’s all that matters. I got to sit in the lobster chair tonight, and we’re sitting No. 1. Our team really needed that,” DeJoria said. “We’ve come so close to so many things and just missed them. Tonight, everything paid off.

“We’ve worked really hard to build a consistent race car and now we’re starting to take that next step. We’re one, two and four. That’s a pretty good night for (John Force Racing).”

Her John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff is second with a 3.932 at 326.32 and Austin Prock, who won Sunday in Maryland, sits third after a 3.950 at 328.14.

Defending Pro Stock event winner Greg Anderson continued to roll at New England Dragway, taking the top spot – and the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA – with a standout run of 6.508 at 210.67 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.

Anderson has thrived at the facility, winning three times, and comes in feeling good, too, after Sunday’s victory in Maryland. Should Friday’s run hold, Anderson would earn his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the year and 145th in his career. He also entered the weekend second in points, but just 11 back of KB Titan Racing teammate and reigning world champion Dallas Glenn, who is currently in the fifth spot.

“We won Friday and we won the lobster, so that’s about as good as you can possibly ask for today. We checked all the boxes and brought them all home,” Anderson said. “If you miss on that Friday night run, tomorrow is going to be a struggle. It’s going to be a hard challenge for anybody to catch that number. We’re going to go out there tomorrow and try to get some more bonus points, but I think we’re looking pretty good.

“Up and down the East Coast, people really appreciate Pro Stock and that makes you want to show off for them and prove why they love the class. We’re very fortunate to have tracks like this and Maryland on the schedule. The fans here understand and appreciate Pro Stock racing.”

Matt Latino continued his strong season after going 6.525 at 210.77 and his father, Eric, is third with a 6.534 at 210.57.

Qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. ET on Saturday at the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England Dragway.

EPPING, N.H. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 13th annual NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England Dragway, eighth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Shawn Langdon, 3.709 seconds, 335.48 mph; 2. Leah Pruett, 3.712, 335.73; 3. Josh Hart, 3.724, 337.92; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.745, 331.61; 5. Billy Torrence, 3.768, 332.26; 6. Tony Stewart, 3.771, 333.49; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.795, 318.47; 8. Doug Kalitta, 3.800, 328.14; 9. Maddi Gordon, 3.808, 330.55; 10. Clay Millican, 3.811, 330.47; 11. Antron Brown, 3.822, 327.66; 12. Will Smith, 3.849, 327.27; 13. Tony Schumacher,

3.864, 329.26; 14. Rit Pustari, 9.189, 71.97; 15. Scott Farley, broke.

Funny Car — 1. Alexis DeJoria, Chevy Camaro, 3.929, 312.42; 2. Jordan Vandergriff, Camaro, 3.932, 326.32; 3. Austin Prock, Ford Mustang, 3.950, 328.14; 4. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.950, 323.81; 5. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.954, 328.46; 6. Del Worsham, Toyota Supra, 3.986, 326.87; 7. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.988, 320.20; 8. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.994, 328.06; 9. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.001, 319.75; 10. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.009, 317.64; 11. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.020, 319.52; 12. Blake Alexander, Charger, 4.064, 320.97; 13. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.065, 319.22; 14. Phil Burkart, Mustang, 4.075, 311.05; 15. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.165, 260.16; 16. Jeff Arend, Charger, 6.117, 111.14.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.508, 210.67; 2. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.525, 210.97; 3. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.534, 210.57; 4. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.534, 210.08; 5. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.537, 210.57; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.539, 210.34; 7. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.540, 210.73; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.546, 210.14; 9. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.551, 209.79; 10. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.551, 209.56; 11.

Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.554, 210.57; 12. Shane Tucker, Camaro, 6.557, 211.76; 13. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.606, 210.64; 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.611, 209.20; 15. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.621, 209.36.

Lightning Roulette: Why Australian Players Keep Coming Back to This Table

By
SM
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Roulette has been around long enough that most players think they know exactly what to expect. Lightning Roulette had other ideas. Built around a standard European wheel, it adds a lightning round before every spin, randomly striking between one and five numbers with multipliers ranging from 50x to 500x. For Australian players browsing an online Australian casino, this is the live table game that tends to stop the scroll. The visuals are bold, the pace is brisk, and the potential for a multiplied straight-up win keeps sessions genuinely engaging. It has become a fixture at online casino Australia rooms since its release, and the interest keeps building.

How Lightning Roulette Actually Works

At its core, Lightning Roulette follows European roulette rules. One zero, 37 numbers, standard bet types. The difference arrives before each spin, when the RNG selects between one and five Lucky Numbers and assigns each a multiplier.

Hit a straight-up bet on a Lucky Number and the payout multiplies accordingly. Straight-up bets pay at 30:1 as the base rate, with the multiplier system turning selected numbers into 50x to 500x opportunities. The adjusted payout structure funds those big multiplier moments, which feels like a reasonable setup for anyone chasing a 500x return on a single number.

The Multiplier Breakdown

MultiplierFrequencyStraight-Up Payout
50xMost common50:1
100xCommon100:1
200xOccasional200:1
300xLess frequent300:1
500xRare500:1

Between one and five numbers receive a multiplier each round. All other bet types, red/black, dozens, columns, pay at their standard rates regardless of the lightning draw.

What Sets Lightning Roulette Apart From Standard Live Roulette

Standard live roulette and Lightning Roulette share the same wheel, the same number layout, and the same basic rules. The difference shows up in every other detail: the studio design, the presenter energy, the multiplier draw, and the way a session actually feels from start to finish. Two aspects stand out most.

The Atmosphere

Standard live roulette tables are calm, considered affairs. Lightning Roulette is deliberately theatrical. A live presenter hosts each round from a purpose-built studio, lightning effects fire across the screen during the multiplier draw, and the whole sequence builds anticipation before the wheel even starts moving.

For Australian players who split time between online pokies Australia and live tables, the energy here sits somewhere between the two. More structured than a pokie, more entertaining than a plain roulette stream. That middle ground turns out to be a popular place to spend an evening.

The Betting Side

Lightning Roulette supports all standard roulette bet types:

  • Straight-up bets on individual numbers, eligible for multipliers;
  • Split bets covering two adjacent numbers;
  • Street bets across three numbers in a row;
  • Corner bets on four numbers;
  • Outside bets: red/black, odd/even, 1-18/19-36, dozens, columns.

Outside bets pay at standard roulette rates and are a steady way to extend a session. The real draw, for most players at any Australian online casino, is the straight-up market where the multipliers live. Straight-up bets carry a base payout of 30:1, keeping the overall RTP at 97.30%, a competitive figure for any live table at an online casino Australia platform.

Lightning Roulette in the Australian Online Casino Scene

Live dealer games have grown quickly across Australian online casino platforms over the past few years, and Lightning Roulette has been one of the standout performers. Australian players respond well to games that combine familiar mechanics with something extra, and the multiplier system delivers exactly that.

For players who enjoy Australian online pokies, Lightning Roulette offers a similar hit of anticipation with the added layer of live interaction. A real presenter, a physical wheel, and the possibility of a 500x return on a single number. That combination is genuinely rare on a live table.

Bonus casino promotions at online casino Australia sites occasionally cover live table games. When they do, Lightning Roulette tends to qualify, though contribution rates toward wagering requirements vary by platform. Checking terms before a session keeps things clear.

Tips for Playing Lightning Roulette

Getting the most from a Lightning Roulette session comes down to a few practical habits. Here is what experienced players tend to do:

  1. Cover multiple straight-up numbers. More numbers covered means more chances to catch a lightning strike each round.
  2. Mix in outside bets. Red/black or dozens bets extend session length while straight-up bets chase the multipliers.
  3. Set a session budget before playing. Lightning rounds add pace, and a clear budget keeps things enjoyable.
  4. Check if bonus casino credits apply. Some platforms allow live table bonuses, which add extra value to a Lightning Roulette session.
  5. Watch a few rounds before betting. The multiplier draw and game flow become familiar quickly, and a couple of observed rounds builds confidence.

These habits work across any online casino, and they translate well whether playing Lightning Roulette for the first time or returning after a run of online pokies sessions. The game rewards a bit of preparation. Not much, but enough to matter.

FAQ

Is Lightning Roulette available at online casino Australia platforms?

Yes. Lightning Roulette is one of the most widely available live table games at online casino Australia sites. Most platforms with a live dealer section include it alongside standard roulette variants.

What is the RTP of Lightning Roulette?

Lightning Roulette carries an RTP of 97.30%. The adjusted base payout on straight-up bets (30:1) funds the multiplier system, keeping the overall return competitive for a live game.

Can bonus casino offers be used on Lightning Roulette?

Some bonus casino promotions apply to live table games, and Lightning Roulette may qualify. Contribution rates toward wagering requirements vary, so checking terms at your Australian online casino before playing is always worthwhile.

How many Lucky Numbers appear each round?

Between one and five numbers receive a lightning multiplier before each spin. The exact count and which numbers are struck is determined by an RNG, keeping every round independent.

Is Lightning Roulette a good option for players who enjoy online pokies Australia?

Quite a few Australian online pokies fans find it a natural fit. The multiplier anticipation mirrors the excitement of a bonus feature, while the live format adds a layer of interaction that pokies sessions approach differently.

Giovanni Ruggiero wins rain-shortened ARCA event at Michigan

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Giovanni Ruggiero emerged victorious in the rain-shortened Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, June 5.

The 19-year-old Ruggiero from Seekonk, Massachusetts, took the green flag from fifth place and primarily raced at the front. After being scored in third place before a competition caution on Lap 35, Ruggiero navigated through two restarts before capitalizing on what would be the event’s final one on Lap 48. During the latest restart, he received a strong push from Gavan Boschele to motor ahead of Jake Bollman and maintain the lead over the field for a single green-flag lap.

When a caution flew on Lap 49 due to a multi-car wreck that eventually turned into a red flag scenario due to inclement weather, Ruggiero spent the next eight laps leading under caution before he, along with the field, were navigated to pit road and placed in a brief red flag period. Not long after all competitors parked on the pit road, the event was ultimately declared official and Ruggiero was awarded his third ARCA Menards Series victory of the 2026 season.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Cleetus McFarland notched his first ARCA Menards Series career pole position with a pole-winning lap at 184.677 mph in 38.987 seconds. Rookie Jake Bollman started alongside McFarland on the front row and in the runner-up starting spot. Bollman’s fastest qualifying lap was at 184.559 mph in 39.012 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the event commenced, pole-sitter Cleetus McFarland gained a strong launch from the outside lane, and he maintained a steady lead over Connor Mosack through the first two turns, the backstretch, and the final two turns. With Mosack reeling in through the turns, McFarland managed to lead the first lap, and he fended off Mosack to retain the lead before the event’s first caution flew due to Daniel Dye spinning by himself while exiting the second turn.

During the second restart on the sixth lap, McFarland and Mosack dueled for the lead through the frontstretch and the next two turns. The field behind jostled for spots. As Mosack proceeded to drive away with a steady lead over the field, McFarland would be overtaken by rookie Jake Bollman, Giovanni Ruggiero and Gavin Boschele over the next lap. Then on the seventh lap, McFarland was racing in three-wide formation against Thomas Annunziata and Andy Jankowiak for fifth place on the track when he turned down the track and made contact with Annunziata through Turns 3 and 4. The contact made both Annunziata and McFarland briefly loose through the turns, but both kept their respective entries racing straight. Meanwhile, Mosack, who extended his early advantage more than a second, retained the top spot through the 10th lap.

Through the Lap 15 mark, Mosack was leading by nearly one-and-a-half seconds over Jake Bollman while Ruggiero, Gavan Boschele and Lanie Buice trailed in the top five, respectively. Behind, Andy Jankowiak, Isabella Robusto, Annunizata, McFarland and Ryan Vargas were racing in the top 10 while Kyle Steckly, Will Kimmel, Wesley Slimp, Jason Kitzmiller and Bobby Earnhardt trailed in the top 15 over Jeff MacZink, George Siciliano (“Squirrel McNutt”), Dystany Spurlock, Matt Kemp and Michael Maples, respectively.

Five laps later, Mosack increased his lead to more than two seconds over Bollman. As Mosack continued to stretch his advantage to three seconds at the Lap 25 mark, Ruggiero started to reel in Bollman for the runner-up spot while Boschele and Buice remained in the top five, respectively.

When a competition caution flew on Lap 35, Mosack was leading by more than five seconds over Bollman as Bollman fended off Ruggiero at the moment of caution to retain the runner-up spot. Behind, Buice and Boschele were scored in the top five while Jankowiak, Annunziata, Robusto, Kimmel and McFarland rounded out the top 10 ahead of Vargas, Steckly, Kitzmiller, Slimp and Siciliano. In addition, only 14 of 30 starters were scored on the lead lap. During the competition caution, the lead-lap field, led by Mosack, pitted non-competitively for fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments.

The event’s restart on Lap 42 featured the field briefly fanning out through the frontstretch before Bollman, who started beneath Mosack, muscled ahead with the lead from the inside lane. As Jankowiak slid sideways and skidded the outside wall through the first two turns, the field scrambled for spots as Bollman led the next lap over a hard-charging Ruggiero. The caution then returned on Lap 44 due to Bobby Earnhardt spinning through Turns 3 and 4.

The next restart on Lap 48 featured Ruggiero receiving a push from Boschele from the inside lane that enabled Ruggiero to overtake Bollman for the lead through the first two turns. As the field settled from fanning out through the frontstretch, Buice challenged Bollman for the runner-up spot along with Boschele and Mosack as Ruggiero led the next lap.

Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Seconds later, the caution returned when Vargas and McFarland, both of whom were racing in the top 10, made contact through the first two turns. Both Vargas and McFarland went up the track and hit the outside wall; Jankowiak was barely clipped by Vargas as he slipped towards the wall. He veered back across the track, clipping Kitzmiller. In the ensuing event, Jankowiak spun towards the bottom of the track with front nose damage and Kitzmiller made hard contact against the outside wall, which terminated his event. Meanwhile, Vargas and McFarland pitted for repairs to the right side of their entries.

Then on Lap 57, the field, led by Ruggiero, was halted on pit road. The event was placed in a red flag period due to inclement weather as rain started to fall on the track. Not long after, the event was declared official 43 laps shy of its scheduled distance. Ruggiero led only the final nine laps but executed when it mattered most during the latest restart and was awarded the victory.

With the victory, Ruggiero, a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor for TRICON Garage, notched his third ARCA Menards Series career win in his 16th series start and his third victory in four starts of the 2026 season. He adds this year’s season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway and Kansas Speedway in mid-April as events he has achieved victory for the first time. Ruggiero also recorded the fourth ARCA victory of this season for Toyota and the third for Joe Gibbs Racing’s (JGR) No. 18 team, with JGR achieving its first ARCA victory at Michigan since 2021 with Ty Gibbs.

“It was awesome,” Ruggiero said on pit road on FS2. “[I’m] Really proud of the No. 18 team. They work so hard. This is such a great group of guys. Awesome to win here with my family, my mom and dad. It was cool that Gavin got to push me there at the end of the race and help me get the lead. Just executed on every restart I felt like. Our car drove good, but I felt like we were still a little bit behind on speed and still got it done. Definitely a good day for us. I wanted to finish [the race] off under green, but yeah, take it how you can get it. Wish we would’ve gotten to go drive over there and park it in the real Victory Lane…Hopefully tomorrow, I can go get the Truck race win and park it down there in Victory Lane.”

Rookie Jake Bollman tied his career-best result by settling in the runner-up spot behind Ruggiero. Gavan Boschele, who made his third ARCA start of the 2026 season and pushed Ruggiero to the lead during the final restart, achieved a career-best third-place result while Connor Mosack, who dominated before the final two restarts, ended up in fourth place. Lanie Buice, who was the fastest competitor during Saturday’s practice session, finished in fifth place.

Thomas Annunziata, Isabella Robusto, Will Kimmel, Wesley Slimp and George Siciliano (“Squirrel McNutt”) completed the top 10 in the final running order. Notably, Ryan Vargas and Cleetus McFarland settled in 12th and 14th following their late incident, Dystany Spurlock finished 13th in her third ARCA career start, and Andy Jankowiak ended up as the first competitor a lap down in 15th.

There were three lead changes for four different leaders and four cautions for 23 laps. In addition, 14 of 30 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the seventh event of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series season, Jake Bollman leads the championship standings by 17 points over Ryan Vargas, 20 over Thomas Annunziata, 31 over Andy Jankowiak, 43 over Jason Kitzmiller and 45 over Isabella Robusto.

Results:

  1. Giovanni Ruggiero, nine laps led
  2. Jake Bollman, six laps led
  3. Gavan Boschele
  4. Connor Mosack, 36 laps led
  5. Lanie Buice
  6. Thomas Annunziata
  7. Isabella Robusto
  8. Will Kimmel
  9. Wesley Slimp
  10. George Siciliano
  11. Kyle Steckly
  12. Ryan Vargas
  13. Dystany Spurlock
  14. Cleetus McFarland, six laps led
  15. Andy Jankowiak, one lap down
  16. Michael Maples, two laps down
  17. Jeff MacZink, two laps down
  18. Takuma Koga, three laps down
  19. Daniel Dye – OUT, Mechanical
  20. Con Nicolopoulos, four laps down
  21. Alex Clubb, four laps down
  22. Morgen Baird, six laps down
  23. Jason Kitzmiller – OUT, Accident
  24. Jeff Maconi, 10 laps down
  25. Bobby Earnhardt – OUT, Mechanical
  26. Matt Kemp – OUT, Mechanical
  27. Dustin Hillenburg – OUT, Mechanical
  28. Nick White – OUT, Mechanical
  29. Brad Smith – OUT, Mechanical
  30. Charles Weslowski – DNS (Did Not Start)

Next on the 2026 ARCA Menards Series schedule is the Pocono ARCA 150 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, for the Pocono ARCA 150. The event will occur next Friday, June 12, and air at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.

ARCA Menards Series at Michigan International Speedway: Henry Ford Health 200 Post-Race Notes

By
Official Release
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  • Gio Ruggiero (No. 18 First Auto Group Toyota) scored his third ARCA Menards Series win of the season in Friday’s Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Ruggiero took the lead on lap 49 and led to lap 57 when the race was cut short due to inclement weather.
  • The Henry Ford Health 200 is the first ARCA Menards Series race to be shortened by weather since William Sawalich won at Phoenix Raceway in 2024.
  • ARCA Menards Series championship points leader Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) finished second, his fourth top-five finish of 2026.
  • Gavan Boschele (No. 25 ShopGavan.com Toyota) notched a career-best third in his fourth career ARCA Menards Series start.
  • Pinnacle Racing Group entered with two consecutive ARCA Menards Series wins at Michigan International Speedway in 2024 with Connor Zilisch and in 2025 with Brenden Queen. The team’s two drivers, Connor Mosack (No. 28 Friends of Jaclyn Chevrolet) and Lanie Buice (No. 77 Sunoco Chevrolet) rounded out the top five. Buice was fastest in practice earlier in the afternoon and scored her second straight fifth-place finish.
  • Nitro Motorsports had four drivers in the top ten; in addition to Bollman, Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL Toyota) in sixth, Isabella Robusto (No. 55 Mobil 1 Toyota) in seventh, and Wesley Slimp (No. 15 Road Ready Foundation Toyota) in ninth all ended up inside the top ten. It marks Slimp’s second consecutive top-ten result; he finished a career-best eighth in his last start at Toledo Speedway.
  • Will Kimmel (No. 69 Aviation Technology Ford) finished eighth, his 49th career top-ten finish and first of 2026.
  • Garrett Mitchell (No. 30 BaldEagle.com Ford), known to his millions of fans as Cleetus McFarland, earned his first career Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Award in qualifying. McFarland nearly spun after contact with Annunziata on lap 7, and then made contact with the wall after contact with Ryan Vargas (No. 91 Michael Maples Motorsports Ford) on lap 50; despite the damage to the right side of the car he persevered to finish 14th.
  • George Siciliano (No. 0 Heat Wave Visuals Ford), better known to his fans on YouTube as Squirrel McNutt, started last in the 28-car field and rallied to finish tenth, his best career ARCA Menards Series finish.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards is at Pocono Raceway on Friday, June 12. The race, set to begin at 3 pm ET, will be televised live on FS1 and broadcast on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide.

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization to sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

Heavy rains postpone High Limit Racing I-94 debut.

By
Briar Starr
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Postment Photo Courtesy of High Limit Racing

Following a weeklong series of races for the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Series and their Roto Rooter Midweek Series, their streak will come to an end tonight.

Teams and drivers made the long four-hour haul from Superior, Wisconsin, on Thursday to Fergus Falls, Minnesota, this afternoon. However, they were treated with showers and storms despite having a sunny day leading up to the unloading of the Sprint Cars. Due to the heavy rain, the series officials had no other choice but to postpone the series debut at I-94 Speedway this afternoon. The officials made the call at 3:25 p.m./ET, 2:25 p.m./local time.

In a post on the High Limit Racing social media channels, the series says more postponement details will be coming later, including a potential later date.

The series will now shift its attention to Saturday night’s race at Dacotah Speedway in Mandan, North Dakota. Projected highs according to the National Weather Service are forecast to be in the low 90s during the daytime and upper 60s for the nighttime racing action, with no chance of rain.

No comments on Heavy rains postpone High Limit Racing I-94 debut.

Kyle Larson Wins Third Straight High Limit Race at Gondik Law Speedway

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Credit: High Limit Racing

The Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Series marched forward with its sixth race of the Roto Rooter Midweek Series event at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wisconsin. Kyle Larson found himself in a similar situation. He was in victory lane for the third time this week after starting in the third position and winning a heat race.

“It’s a cool race track, like a great shape for Sprint Car racing, this great orange dirt,” Larson said to Flo Racing on the frontstretch. “It’s some of the best in the country. This is a lot like Port Royal (Speedway, another dirt track). It’s really, really slick. In the slick, where it gets black. That was getting me a little bit nervous there in the end. I know Justin (Peck) was running lower than me; it sounded like in Turns) 1 and 2.

“He slid me there into Turn 1 on the restart and I wasn’t sure if I could get enough of an exit. I figured his car was pretty good to do that. I just picked the pace up and try to run a little harder. Hats off again to Paul (Silva) and Trevor (Canales, Larson’s crew member). It’s been a great week so far and hopefully we can keep it up. I guess one more race for me this week (I-94 Speedway).”

29 Sprint Cars were checked in.

Larson has been seeking three consecutive victories ever since winning the Monday night event at Davenport Speedway.

Rico Abreu, who pilots the No. 24 Tony Stewart Racing Sprint Car, is looking to carry the momentum into the weekend after taking over the season’s championship points standing by one point over Aaron Reutzel.

Three heat races were on the table with eight laps for each heat, with the top six transferring to the A-feature.

Before the green-flag beginning in the first heat race, Brenham Crouch and Justin Peck made contact with each other. Crouch received the most damage to his Sprint Car. Replays showed that Crouch spun around in Turn 4. Then, Peck came in hot, couldn’t slow down and made contact with Crouch. It also appeared Crouch had a lot of front-end damage. Due to the freak accident, both drivers were able to keep their starting positions for the heat race. Crouch’s team fixd the car and sent it back out.

Following the accident, the heat race was finally able to go green. Larson picked up another heat victory with Peck, Abreu, Crouch, Chase Randall, and Tanner Holmes the top six. Larson won by 3.699 seconds over Peck.

In the second heat, a caution was called early. This was due to Darin Naida’s car shutting off in Turn 4 and coming to a stop on the frontstretch. This was the only incident during the second heat race. Giovanni Scelzi took the second heat race win. The Spire Motorsports driver was followed by Reutzel, Sye Lynch, Ayrton Gennetten, Tyler Courtney, and Danny Sams III to round out the top six.

For the third and final heat race, Kasey Kahne’s Racing, Daison Pursley claimed the heat in a close battle with the top three. Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen, Hank Davis, Christopher Thram, and Joel Myers Jr were the final six transfers out of the heat races.

Moving on to the dash, which consisted of seven laps, were Larson, Scelzi, Pursley, Holmes, Reutzel, and Marks to vie for the pole. By drawing the lowest number possible of 00 in the dash draw, Pursley was on the pole for the dash event. The Kasey Kahne Racing driver was victorious in the dash and claimed the pole position for the first time this season. Interesting to note, this was the first time Pursley was on the pole for the KKR machine.

In the only B-main, there was a big name in this feature. Tanner Thorson, who failed to transfer out of the heat races, was able to transfer out of the B-main with a second-place finish. As for your winner, it was Brooke Tatnell who won the B-feature.

Once the heat races, dash, and B-mains were completed, it was finally time for the 30-lap feature. Pursley, Reutzel, Larson, Scelzi, Marks, Holmes, Peck, Abreu, Lynch, and Madsen were your Top 10 starters.

As the green flag waved for the start of the feature, Pursley and Reutzel raced down into Turn 1. Pursley had a great start, but it was Larson who fired down the backstretch to take the lead. Caution quickly flew on the first lap for Lynch, who was turned down in the infield off Turn 4 after contact with Davis. Lynch had a left-rear flat tire following the contact. Lynch was able to rejoin the field after the team made repairs.

Even though Larson took the lead briefly on the backstretch, the caution came out right before he crossed the start/finish line. Meaning, it would be a complete restart and Pursley got his pole position back, and Larson did not officially lead a lap.

Pursley got a better restart this time around and maintained his top spot. However, his lead would be short-lived, as Larson took the lead on the frontstretch at 28 laps to go. Pursley fell to second and tried protecting his position from Peck. Peck, however, took second away at 24 laps to go. The two would put on a thrilling battle in the early laps, which allowed Larson to pull away.

As Pursley threw a slider, his car went over the banking and lost several spots, sliding back to the fifth position. At 20 laps to go, it was Larson, Peck, Marks, Reutzel, and Holmes in the top five.

One lap later, with 19 to go, a caution came out for Myers Jr., as his car did not have power and pulled into the infield.

Coming to the choose cone, Larson chose inside, while Peck was outside for the double-file restart. Going back green, Larson went to the top side to stretch the lead. But a red flag came out immediately for two cars flipping upside down in Turn 1. Gennetten and Sams III were the cars involved in the incident, which went up and over the wall.

Gennetten was rightfully frustrated with the accident and had some words for Sams III, which you can check out in the clip below.

Following a brief red flag period for cleanup, the race resumed at 19 laps to go, with Larson checking out up front. Another caution was flown with 16 laps to go for Lynch, who spun around in Turn 2.

The caution was short-lived, and again, the green flag came back out. A few laps would be run until the caution flew once more at 12 laps to go. Madsen went over the wall while running in the top five, but thankfully did not go upside down. However, he suffered a right-front flat tire in the process. Meanwhile, Crouch and Davis also spun around as the caution came out.

A red flag would once again come out due to light rain showers impacting the racetrack, causing open red conditions, allowing teams to work on the cars.

The rain shower was brief, and the race was able to resume after a couple of minutes. The lineup was Larson, Peck, Marks, Reutzel, and Holmes in the top five. After the restart, Peck threw a slider on Larson, but Larson took control again and kept the top spot. The driver of the Paul Silva No. 57 entry would so in the final remaining laps and secured his third consecutive victory of the week. Larson’s margin of victory was 1.503 seconds over Peck.

The victory was his fifth of the 2026 season and the 14th of his career.

As Larson’s dominance continues in Sprint Car racing, he was asked if this is what it would look like if he ran in the series full-time.

“I’ve always wondered how we would do if we ran a full season,” Larson said in his victory lane interview. “In 2020, I think we proved how lethal we could be. If you give Paul (Silva, Team Owner) enough nights at it, and me more nights behind the wheel too. These tracks have been a lot different than what we ran on so far to start the year for me. I don’t know if they suited our style or what, but we definitely have been a lot more competitive these first three nights of this week than we have the other races this year.

“Happy about that. Hopefully, that means we’re getting our car better. You just don’t ever know until you get to some of the bigger races with all the competition. Look forward to some of those.”

Official Race Results Following Gondik Law Speedway

  1. Kyle Larson
  2. Justin Peck
  3. Brent Marks
  4. Tanner Holmes
  5. Aaron Reutzel
  6. Rico Abreu
  7. Giovanni Scelzi
  8. Daison Pursley
  9. Tanner Thorson
  10. Chase Randall
  11. Tyler Courtney
  12. Brenham Crouch
  13. Kerry Madsen
  14. Danny Sams III
  15. Hank Davis
  16. Brooke Tatnell
  17. Alex Pokorski
  18. Will Gerrits
  19. Christopher Thram
  20. Joel Myers Jr
  21. Sye Lynch
  22. Ayrton Gennetten
  23. Austin Hartmann
  24. Zach Daum

Up Next – The next Interstate Batteries High Limit Series race is slated for Friday night at I-94 Speedway, live on Flo Racing.

Fuel Keeps the Flame Lit in FireKeepers Casino 400

By
Official Release
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Racing at Michigan Means Balancing Speed With Fuel Efficiency

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 5, 2026) – When drivers have their right foot mashed to the floorboard, their throttle wide open as they run more than 190 mph, fuel efficiency is not top of mind. But at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, home to Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400, the conundrum of balancing outright speed and maximizing fuel mileage is ever present.

The 2-mile oval in the state’s Irish Hills region produces some of the fastest speeds on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Its sweeping corners, banked at 18 degrees, grant drivers the ability to go wide-open or at least attempt to, based on how much grip their tires and their own grit allow.

“Michigan is about as fast as it gets. You’re just about wide-open, and completely wide open when your car’s right and the track conditions are right,” said Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Super.com Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing.

“It takes a mega-level of commitment to keep your foot to the floor. You’ve got to tell yourself not to lift when you really want to going into the corner.”

As drivers push these boundaries, they also push how far their car’s 20-gallon fuel cell can take them. For as many Michigan races have been won by brute strength, seemingly just as many have been won by those who drive as if there was an egg between their foot and the gas pedal.

“You’ve got to have a car that’s really, really fast if you want to try to save fuel because the only way you’re going to do that is by having less wide-open throttle time,” Ware said.

The ability to go fast, yet still save fuel, is an art that requires in-race adaptation.

“Being smooth is always key at Michigan,” Ware said. “You want to find your rhythm – your throttle points, your lift points, your pickup points – but when you have to break that in an effort to save fuel, it gets tricky. You have to find a whole new set of markers on the track to sustain that new rhythm. You can get jumbled up and make a mistake.”

How does Ware view his ability to save fuel?

“I don’t think there’s ever anyone who walks away from a fuel-mileage race and says, ‘Yeah, I did that perfectly,’ because in the moment you never know. There’s no fuel gauge in the car. We don’t see how many miles-per-gallon we’re getting,” Ware said.

“Sometimes, you slow down too much. Other times, you don’t slow down enough and you run dry. You even try to get ready for the moment and look at historical data before the race weekend even starts, but still, in the moment, it’s almost impossible to really know if you’re doing a good job or not.”

The ultimate validation comes with a trip to victory lane. But is there an asterisk attached to a fuel-mileage win?

“A win is a win is a win,” Ware said. “I don’t care if it’s superspeedway racing, fuel-mileage racing, rain racing – you and your team have done something right if you’ve won a NASCAR Cup Series race. You just don’t fluke into it at this level.”

The FireKeepers Casino 400 will mark Ware’s 157th career Cup Series start, and his drive toward his first Cup Series win begins Saturday with practice at 5 p.m. EDT followed by qualifying at 6:10 p.m. Sunday’s 200-lap race goes green at 3 p.m. All of the action will be broadcast live by Prime Video and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Rick Ware Racing:

Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. It began at age 6 when the third-generation racer began his driving career and has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s, where he finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries would force Ware out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with his wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that competes full-time in the elite NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track, FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) and zMAX CARS Tour.

RECENT PROGRESS HAS TOP FUEL’S WILL SMITH EXCITED FOR NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS PRESENTED BY BPROAUTO

By
Official Release
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EPPING, N.H. (June 5, 2026) – Jumping into a loaded Top Fuel field is never easy, but Will Smith couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity and he’s starting to make the most of it heading into this weekend’s 13th annual NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England Dragway.

This year marks the first chance at a full-time ride for Smith, who had raced eight previous times in the category before jumping into the 12,000-horsepower Bluebird Turf dragster for SCAG Racing in 2026.

It hasn’t been easy and it’s a steep learning curve going against a wealth of talented drivers, but Smith has shown solid signs of improvement. He continues to be a standout on the starting line and the team has picked up round wins at each of the past two races.

Those mark the first two round wins of his Top Fuel career and a big step forward for Smith and his team, which only adds to his confidence heading to this weekend’s race in Epping.

“We’re excited to head to Epping this weekend. The last two races have both resulted in round wins for our team and it’s encouraging to see the progress we’re making,” Smith said. “Our Bluebird Turf team has been working so hard and we look forward to carrying our momentum into the weekend and taking another step forward. The goal is to keep improving, put together a strong qualifying effort and give everyone who comes out to support us something to cheer about on Sunday.

“We’ll have a large group of SCAG dealers, customers, and guests joining us throughout the weekend. It’s a great opportunity to spend time with the people who support our brands and we always enjoy being able to share the NHRA experience with them.”

Last year, Brittany Force (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) picked up race wins, while Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) earned victories in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge bonus race. This season’s event will again be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, with eliminations on FOX on Sunday beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.

  • It is the eighth of 20 races during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season and fans can expect a variety of highlights, including:
  • A feature of the Tasca Cobra Jet with Funny Car team owner Bob Tasca III.

On Friday, the first 3,000 fans in attendance will receive a free, limited-edition NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto flag celebrating NHRA’s 75th anniversary and the 60th anniversary of New England Dragway.

Smith saw nothing but positives from last weekend’s race in Maryland. Taking on fellow rookie Maddi Gordon in the first round, Smith picked up the victory before falling to Leah Pruett a round later. Round wins are tough to come by in the Top Fuel ranks, with the standout class led by points leader Shawn Langdon, who has rolled to three straight wins.

Then, there’s the likes of reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, racing legend Tony Stewart, Pruett, Gordon, four-time champ Antron Brown, Clay Millican and Smith’s teammate, Justin Ashley. It’s a tall order for anyone, but Smith is feeling good about what his team accomplished in Maryland and is eager to get right back in the car during this stretch of three straight race weekends.

“We had a great weekend. We’re excited, we’re making progress, and we’re onto Epping this week. We’ll build on what we learned this weekend and try to turn on more win lights this week,” Smith said.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd would love a repeat win as he remains in the thick of the championship hunt. Points leader Ron Capps and Chad Green both have two wins this season, and the loaded class also includes Matt Hagan, Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff.

Six-time Pro Stock world champ Anderson won Epping for the third time last year over his long-time rival Erica Enders. His KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn claimed the world title in 2026 and is the current points leader, while others to watch include Aaron Stanfield, Hartford and Greg Standfield. A

The event will also feature standout competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the popular snowmobile categories. Race fans at New England Dragway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.

As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Epping. This opportunity gives fans a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 5 and 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, June 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, June 6 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 7. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET on Friday and 12 p.m. on Sunday, followed by eliminations from 3-6 p.m. ET on Sunday on FOX.

To purchase tickets to the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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