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Real American Beer Returns to the Track with Hyak Motorsports at the NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400

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Official Release
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The 200% American Brand Ramps Up Visibility with Bold New Paint Scheme on the No. 47 Chevy

TAMPA, Fla., June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — June 3, 2025 – Real American Beer is back on the NASCAR track this weekend, teaming up with Hyak Motorsports to bring its 200% American energy to Michigan International Speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8.

The No. 47 Chevrolet, driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr, will debut a refreshed Real American Beer paint scheme—marking the second time this season Hyak Motorsports and the fast-growing beer brand have joined forces.

This latest collaboration builds on Real American Beer’s momentum as a disruptive new name in the premium light beer space. With Real American Beer now in 27 states and growing support across national retail, the brand has quickly become a fan-favorite among beer drinkers who live for race days, tailgates and flag-flying weekends.

“We didn’t get the result we were after in Nashville, and that’s frustrating for sure,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet for Hyak Motorsports. “But this team’s got heart. We’ve put in the work this week, and we’re heading to Michigan with a clean state and a fast Real American Beer Chevy.”

The FireKeepers 400 paint scheme brings Real American Beer’s signature 200% American aesthetic to one of the fastest tracks in the series—giving fans on the ground and watching at home a taste of the brand’s trademark energy.

“Brother, Michigan knows how to go full throttle—and so does Real American Beer,” said Hulk Hogan, WWE Hall of Famer and co-founder of Real American Beer. “We’re back on the track, back in the fight, and there’s no better time to crack one open and let it rip.”

The partnership with Hyak Motorsports underscores Real American Beer’s commitment to the NASCAR community, especially in markets where beer drinkers are seeking alternatives with real identity and American-made values.

“Motorsports fans have been some of our loudest supporters from day one,” said Terri Francis, CEO of Real American Beer. “This partnership is part of our strategy to meet them where they are—on the road, in the stands and in the beer aisle.”

Jimmy Hart, aka The Mouth of the South, will be trackside bringing the heat—and handing out the cold ones. He’ll be repping Real American Beer all weekend long with a megaphone in hand. If you’re in the infield, you’ll hear him before you see him.

Fans can catch the FireKeepers Casino 400 live from Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, June 8 at 2PM EDT, broadcast on PRIME, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

And now, for fans who want to skip the beer run, Real American Beer is also available online. With just a few clicks, RAB can be delivered straight to your door—just in time for race day. Visit the Real American Beer Finder to order.

ABOUT REAL AMERICAN BEER

Co-founded by WWE legend Hulk Hogan, Real American Beer (RAB) is a premium light beer that’s proudly American-owned and made. At 4.2% ABV with just 110 calories and 4g carbs, RAB is now available in 27 states and counting, with a simple mission: bring people together, one beer at a time. Learn more at therealamerican.com and follow along on Instagram, Facebook and X.

ABOUT HYAK MOTORSPORTS

HYAK Motorsports welcomes in a new era of racing for the iconic No. 47 team with a fresh, new rebrand, name and ownership. For the 2025 season, the team has transitioned from JTG Racing to HYAK Motorsports as Gordon Smith, who became the principal owner of the team on November 18, 2023,transitions into the role after owning a large portion of the team since 2016.HYAK Motorsports will continue to carry out Smith’s plan to bring a fresh, new energy to the team and show his commitment in advancing the team’s legacy both on and off the race track. The change starts with the name “HYAK” which means “fast” in Chinook Jargon, which is a trade language of the Pacific Northwest that incorporates terms from Chinook, Chehalis, and many other local languages. The ownership transition promises to fuel HYAK Motorsports with a competitive edge by enhancing its approach to performance, innovation, and fan engagement. Smith is now joined by co-owners Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes and Ernie Cope, who are also dedicated to maintaining the team’s high standards while introducing updated strategies and resources to help bring the team to a new level.

Why The Grand Prix Of Cleveland Ended?

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SM
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Who here is old enough to remember the Cleveland Grand Prix? The Grand Prix of Cleveland was one of the summer’s biggest racing events from 1982 through 2007. This racetrack was in charge of bringing IndyCar and Champ Car racing to Ohio’s North Coast.

But why, after 26 years, did it vanish from the world of motorsports? This event drew up to 75,000 spectators and was the only race held on an actual airport.

Well, the story ended tragically, and there wasn’t only one single reason that led to the death of this racetrack. It was a combination of financial struggles, logistical challenges, and numerous other factors.

But let’s dig deeper and find out why the Grand Prix of Cleveland ended, and whether or not we can see it back in full glory.

A Quick Lap Around the Grand Prix History

The Grand Prix of Cleveland wasn’t just another race; it was a pure spectacle that launched in 1982 as part of the CART/Champ Car series. Later, it joined the IndyCar Series, hosting legends like Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan.

The first problem that this event stumbled upon was the circuit. The race was run on a 2.106-mile temporary circuit at Burke Lakefront Airport. Yes, we are talking about an actual airport. So, it wasn’t a proper racetrack.

By the 1990s, it was a marquee event, and it got so popular that it turbocharged Cleveland’s summer tourism, which was tied to the race weekend. But a decade later, the grandstands were gone, and the airport returned to its quiet self.

With that said, the end wasn’t sudden. Instead, the Grand Prix of Cleveland had a slow death fueled by multiple factors, each chipping away at the event’s viability. It involves economics and even politics, which made a long-lasting motorsport event vanish from existence.

Additionally, this wasn’t a proper racetrack, and building a new racetrack in Cleveland costs a lot of money. 

Can you imagine if this race were still available today? It would get a massive betting action in Ohio. If you are someone from Ohio who likes sports betting, you should visit the link below and find the best sportsbooks, promos, and bonuses: https://www.youbet.com/states/ohio/

Financial Disputes

It is safe to say that the biggest pothole for the Grand Prix was money. Organizing such big event costs a lot of money (millions annually) just for track setup, safety barriers, grandstands, and promotion.

For years, the Cleveland Grand Prix relied on corporate sponsors and ticket sales, but by the early 2000s, sponsorships dried up, which meant that there was no money for organizing a race.

Local businesses were hit by economic shifts, so they couldn’t allow big money promotions, and the Cleveland Grand Prix wasn’t really popular among big brands, just because most of them thought as a made-up event.

Some reports suggest that the Grand Prix had a $2 million shortfall, and organizers fought really hard for years just to keep the lights on. If you live in Cleveland, you probably remember the promoters “begging for funds” in their final years, even organizing crowdfunding events.

But without money, it is impossible to run a Grand Prix so big that it costs multiple races a year and draws thousands of people.

Organizational Conflicts

The Grand Prix’s demise wasn’t just about cash—racing politics played a wrecking ball. In the 1990s, a bitter split between CART/Champ Car and the IndyCar Series created chaos. Cleveland, a CART stronghold, stayed loyal but suffered when Champ Car’s popularity waned. 

By 2004, Champ Car’s financial woes led to inconsistent schedules, and Cleveland’s race bounced between series, confusing fans. A 2007 attempt to merge with IndyCar came too late. Organizers clashed over sanctioning fees, rumored at $1 million. 

Local promoters, caught in the crossfire, couldn’t align stakeholders. These turf wars left Cleveland’s event without a clear path, like a car spinning out in the final turn.

Logistical Challenges

Burke Lakefront Airport was a unique but tricky venue. Its flat runways made for fast racing, but turning an active airport into a racetrack was a logistical nightmare. 

Each year, organizers had to close runways for weeks, disrupting flights and irking airport tenants. Temporary grandstands and barriers cost millions to install and remove, with no permanent infrastructure to ease the burden. 

By 2005, the airport’s operator pushed for shorter race weekends, cutting into fan events and revenue. Noise complaints from downtown residents grew, and city officials faced pressure to prioritize airport operations over racing. Some people recall “cramped” facilities and limited parking, which was a real nightmare for the locals. 

Burke’s quirks, once charming, became a roadblock the Grand Prix couldn’t navigate.

Why Cleveland’s Grand Prix Mattered

The Grand Prix of Cleveland, from 1982 to 2007, was a motorsport gem, drawing 75,000 fans at its peak to Burke Lakefront Airport. Its end stemmed from $2M financial gaps, CART-IndyCar feuds, airport logistics, and waning fan interest. 

Cleveland’s loss highlights the fragility of urban racing, yet its 26-year run remains a thrilling chapter. For Hudson Valley race fans, it’s a reminder of how fast glory can fade when the money runs dry.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY PRE-RACE ADVANCE

By
Official Release
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EVENT: FireKeepers Casino 400
DATE: June 8, 2025
TRACK: Michigan International Speedway | 2-mile intermediate oval

CLUB MINUTES:

JJ AT MICHIGAN: LEGACY MC co-owner and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson owns 38 starts in NASCAR’s elite series at the 2-mile oval in Brooklyn, Michigan. He has one win at Michigan from June 2014, where he started seventh and led 39 laps en route to a 1.214-second margin of victory over runner-up Kevin Harvick. Overall, Johnson has scored five top-fives, 12 top-10s and led 700 laps at Michigan in his career.

KENSETH – THREE-TIME WINNER WINS BIG IN MICHIGAN: LEGACY MC’s competition advisor Matt Kenseth found success at the 2-mile oval in Michigan as well. With 40 NASCAR Cup Series starts at the track, Kenseth owns three victories from his June 2002, August 2006, and August 2015 starts. He’s earned 14 top-fives, 20 top-10s, and led 443 laps at Michigan.

THE KING WINS AT MICHIGAN: Richard Petty has a total of 47 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan in his career. The LEGACY MC ambassador earned a total of four victories, 19 top-fives, and 25 top-10s during his legendary career. His victories at the track came in June 1974, August 1975, August 1979, and August 1981.

NEVER SETTLE: Join ESPN’s Marty Smith and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s co-owner Johnson for their weekly podcast, “Never Settle”. The podcast airs live on SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 at 2 p.m. ET every Wednesday and can be downloaded wherever fans source their podcasts. This week’s guest is Rodney Scott a renowned pitmaster and restaurateur, widely recognized for his expertise in whole hog barbecue. He gained national fame after opening Rodney Scott’s BBQ in Charleston in 2016. His barbecue journey began at his family’s restaurant in Hemingway, South Carolina, where he learned the art of whole hog cooking from a young age.

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
NO. 42 PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH: June is National Safety Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and promoting safety at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Since 1996, this annual observance has offered free resources to spotlight the leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths. One of LEGACY MC’s primary partners, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety is committed to making safety a priority this June and throughout the year.

JHN AT MIS: John Hunter Nemechek heads to Michigan International Speedway with three prior NASCAR Cup Series starts, two from his rookie season in 2020 and one from last year. Beyond the Cup Series, the 27-year-old has made 10 more appearances at the track, with five starts each in the NASCAR Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Nemechek visited Victory Lane in 2023 when driving for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR).

JHN IN THE POINTS: During this time last year, Nemechek sat 27th in driver points and ultimately finished in 34th. As the team heads into Michigan, Nemechek and the No. 42 team sit in 22nd in points and just 22 points back from the playoff cut line.

TMACK AT MIS: Crew chief Travis Mack has visited the Brooklyn, Michigan, speedway on six occasions as a crew chief. Five of those came in the Cup Series. Among those five starts, he has an average starting spot of 24 and finishing spot of 21. In the one Xfinity Series race with Michael Annett behind the wheel, the team started seventh and finished third (2019).

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE:

“Last year at Michigan, we went in and had some speed but got caught up in a wreck early that ruined our race. We managed to continue to run and learn and gain some experience there. Our team continues to prep and try to find new speed. We’re hoping that we can unload with some speed and have a solid weekend.”

TRAVIS MACK QUOTE:

“Michigan always seems like it turns into a fuel mileage race. We should have the speed, and we should race good, but it seems like it turns into a strategy race. I am looking forward to going to Michigan and seeing what we have.”

ERIK JONES
NO. 43 DOLLAR TREE TOYOTA CAMRY XSE
TOP-10 AT NASHVILLE: Erik Jones is riding a wave of momentum into Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway after his seventh-place finish last Sunday night under the lights at Nashville Superspeedway. After qualifying 14th for the Cracker Barrel 400, he went on to score his second top-10 of the 2025 season. Both of these finishes have come on intermediate tracks with his first being his fifth-place result on May 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

HOMETOWN HERO: Jones is returning to his home track of Michigan for Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400. The Michigan native grew up just 73 miles north of the track in the small town of Byron, where he started his racing career at a young age before transitioning to stock cars at age 13. He quickly moved up the ranks in NASCAR but never forgot his Michigan roots along the way. He is one of only three Michigan natives racing in the Cup Series fulltime along with Brad Keselowski and Carson Hocevar.

JONES MICHIGAN STATS: Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 will mark Jones’ 13th NASCAR Cup Series start at Michigan. In his prior 12 starts, Jones earned a best finish of third in August 2017 after starting eighth. He owns another two top-10 finishes with his finishes of eighth in August 2022 and 10th in August 2023. He has an additional two starts outside of the Cup Series at Michigan – one in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He earned a finish of fourth in his one and only Xfinity Series start in June 2016 after starting second and leading 18 laps. In the Craftsman Truck Series, Jones finished third in August 2015 after starting seventh and leading 16 laps.

CLAYS FOR CAUSES: On Friday, Jones will host his third annual “Clays for Causes” fundraiser in Dryden, Michigan at the Huntsman Hunt Club starting at 8 a.m. CT. As a proud Michigan native with a deep appreciation for the outdoors, Jones uses this event to reflect both his roots and his passion for giving back. Clays for Causes raises funds to support the foundation and their efforts to change lives by igniting children’s passion for reading, encouraging early cancer detection and care, and promoting animal welfare. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit ErikJonesFoundation.org.

BESHORE AT MICHIGAN: Crew chief Ben Beshore has a total of four races under his belt at Michigan as a crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series. His best results are a pair of seventh-place finishes with Kyle Busch from the June 2017 and August 2021 races, where they started fourth and seventh, respectively. He has an additional two races on top of the box in the Xfinity Series as the crew chief for Riley Herbst and John Hunter Nemechek. He won at Michigan in August 2023 with Nemechek after the team started 10th.

GRADUATION AT THE TRACK: This Friday will mark the 11-year anniversary of Jones’ makeshift graduation ceremony held on the driver introductions prior to the WinStar World Casino 400K Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. On June 6, 2014, Jones missed his graduation at Swartz Creek Academy to run the race while still running a part-time schedule in the series. After he walked the stage in a graduation cap and gown to receive his diploma, he went on to start the race fifth and finished 11th.

TOYOTA IN-CAR CAMERA: Ride along with Jones this weekend in the No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE with the Toyota in-car camera. His view from inside the car will be featured on the Amazon Prime broadcast and on HBO Max.

ERIK JONES QUOTE
“I always look forward to Michigan. Obviously, it’s a home race for me and my home track. It’s a lot of fun to get up there and be with family and friends. I typically get there earlier in the week to go spend more time with them and get to see them before the busy weekend. It’s always exciting and a lot of fun. The race itself – I just really enjoy the track. It’s come into its own here as it’s aged and widened out. Racing there with this NextGen car has been good. I’m looking forward to it. This one is high on my bucket list of tracks to win at one day. I just look forward for the chance to be out there every year.”

BEN BESHORE QUOTE
“Michigan is a high-speed oval where speeds are as fast as they can get at a sorta repaved-type track. It’s more strategy driven and trying to keep your car in the best position possible throughout the race plus playing the strategy so you’re out front and need the least fuel possible on the last stop. You can kind of leapfrog your way to track position with that. I know Erik’s super excited for that one with it being his home track and us having some speed at mile-and-a-halves this year, so we’re really looking forward to that one.”

CLUB APPEARANCES:
Nemechek will make a stop out at the NASCAR Classics Merchandise hauler on race day at 11:00 a.m. to meet with the fans and sign some autographs.

TUNE IN:
The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Michigan International Speedway for the Firekeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, June 8. The race broadcast will take place on Amazon Prime, MAX, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) at 2 p.m. EDT.

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: (LEGACY MC) is a premier auto racing organization co-owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

Spire Motorsports FireKeepers Casino 400 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Spire Motorsports has logged two top-10 and and three top-15 finishes. Zane Smith posted a team-best seventh-place finish in last season’s 400-mile event at the Brooklyn oval. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet ZL1s in the Cup Series for Justin Haley, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
  • The FireKeepers Casino 400 will be streamed live on Amazon Prime, Sunday, June 8 beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 15th of 36 points-paying races on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Justin Haley – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

  • Justin Haley will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Garner Trucking, Inc. Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
  • Haley has recorded four previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at the famed two-mile oval. Over those four races, the Winamac, Ind., native has logged a 23.3 average start, a 21.3 average finish and earned two top-20 showings, while completing 805 of 806 laps (99.9%). His career/series-best finish was a 17th-place result in August 2022.
  • Garner Trucking is a family-owned and operated business started in 1960 by Vernon E. Garner and Regina R. Garner, headquartered in Findlay, Ohio. Daughter Sherri Garner Brumbaugh currently owns and operates the business. Garner is a 100 percent woman-owned business. Since 2017, Garner Trucking has been named a Best Fleet to Drive For from trucking companies in North America. In 2022, Garner was named the Best Fleet to Drive For – Overall Small Carrier. The company’s dedication to its drivers earned it a spot in the Best Fleets to Drive For Hall of Fame in 2023. Continuing its legacy of excellence, Garner won the inaugural Best Fleets to Drive for Hall of Fame Stratosphere Award in 2024—and claimed the title again in 2025. Garner is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2025.
  • Last week at Nashville Superspeedway, Haley battled tight-handling Garner Trucking Chevrolet which ultimately left him one lap down to the leaders and 32nd in the final rundown.
  • In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition, Haley earned a venue best 10th-place finish in the 2019 LTI Printing 250.
  • Haley boasts a pair of top-10 results in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition at MIS where he finished 10th and ninth, respectively in 2017-2018.
  • Haley secured his first Cup Series win in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. He picked up both his and the team’s first win – an upset of practically unprecedented proportions – behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet.
  • Over the course of his career, Haley has collected four NASCAR Xfinity Series checkered flags and three CRAFTSMAN Truck Series wins, making him one of just 41 drivers in history to have earned wins across all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series.
  • He made his first start in NASCAR’s premier division for Spire Motorsports at Talladega Superspeedway on April 28, 2019 – his 20th birthday. Sunday will mark Haley’s 160th career NASCAR Cup Series start. Over the course of the last seven seasons, the 26-year-old racer has notched one win, five top fives, 17 top 10s and 103 laps led.
  • In total, Haley has made 56 Cup Series starts for Spire Motorsports, with the bulk of races coming during the 2021 season behind the wheel of the team’s No. 77 machine. In his second appearance amidst his return to Spire Motorsports at Talladega last October, Haley earned a seventh-place result, his first top 10 with the team since the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

Justin Haley Quote
What’s your outlook heading into Michigan this weekend?
“I’m hopeful heading to Michigan this weekend. Personally, it is not top of the list of my favorite tracks, but it’s a good track if you have a fast race car. Generally speaking, we have fast race cars at these style tracks. Hopefully, we can turn that speed into a good result in our Garner Trucking Chevrolet.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Ryan Sparks

  • Ryan Sparks, Spire Motorsports Competition Director and crew chief for driver Justin Haley, has called six races at MIS, dating back to 2020. He earned an venue-best result when he led Corey LaJoie to a 15th-place finish in August 2023.
  • The Winston Salem, N.C., native has called 180 NASCAR Cup Series races where he’s earned three top-five and nine top-10 finishes. He was first paired with Haley at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2024.

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

  • Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS).
  • McDowell has made 18 NASCAR Cup Series starts at MIS, and turned in a venue/series best 19th-place finish in last year’s annual visit to Michigan’s Irish Hills.
  • The Glendale, Ariz., native has logged a 26.7 average start and a 29.4 average finish at the two-mile Brooklyn, Mich., oval.
  • In addition to his time in NASCAR’s top series, the 40-year-old has three starts at MIS in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, earning a best result of seventh in 2012.
  • Spire Motorsports comes to the track known for its speed and width with fresh insight from Director of Vehicle Performance, Matt McCall. The former crew chief has coached his drivers to five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, most recently earning back-to-back top-five performances with Brad Keselowski. The 44-year-old has an average finish of 9.9 in 16 Cup Series starts.
  • During last weekend’s trip Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, McDowell qualified his No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet eighth and held a steady grip on the top 10 during the opening stage of Sunday’s 400-mile contest. As the sun set on the central Tennessee track and the track temperature dropped, the No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet faded from the top 20 and ultimately crossed the finish line 21st.
  • The No. 71 team earned a $100,000 payday and a trip to Victory Lane after winning the Mechanix Wear Pit Crew Challenge during NASCAR’s recent visit to North Wilkesboro Speedway. The crew’s blazing 12.587-second stop topped all entries for both the NASCAR All-Star Open and NASCAR All-Star Race, earning the title of the fastest team on pit road.
  • B’laster Products will ride along the No. 71 in associate-sponsor position this weekend, as the Cleveland, Ohio-based company gets ready for its primary paint scheme in next weekend’s inaugural visit for the NASCAR Cup Series to Mexico City.
  • Through the first 13 races of the 2025 campaign, McDowell owns an average starting position of 13.6, including five starts inside the top 10.
  • Delaware Life is an insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance Holdings LLC, Delaware Life focuses on delivering a seamless experience for advisors. The company understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping advisors with annuities that give their customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan with confidence for whatever’s next.
  • McDowell has claimed three Xfinity Fastest Lap awards this season, clocking the fastest lap in the Daytona 500, Phoenix Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The No. 71 stands as the only Cup Series team to win the newly unveiled award three times.
  • McDowell secured Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. His 28.833-second lap marks the fastest lap in NASCAR’s seventh-generation Cup Series car (2022-present) at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval.

Michael McDowell Quote
What are your thoughts as we head to Michigan?
“Michigan is a fun track. With the speed we’ve had this year at Spire Motorsports, our mile-and-a-half program and big-track program have been great. I feel like the Hendrick engine shop is a big part of that, too. Every year, when we think about Michigan, this is usually where you see how everybody is performance-wise. I think Michigan and Indianapolis are those places with big downforce, big horsepower. Being efficient in both those areas is important at both those places. Everything stands out. Everything is magnified at Michigan, and right now, with the speed that we have, I think it’ll be a great track for us to go do something special.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Travis Peterson

  • Crew chief Travis Peterson heads to the track with two NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan International Speedway, both with McDowell; the duo holds an average finish of 21.5.
  • During his time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Wisconsin native worked as an engineer for Regan Smith and the No. 7 entry at JR Motorsports. In 2013, Smith qualified 20th, leading 14 laps at the Brooklyn, Mich., oval. The No. 7 Chevrolet took home the checkered flag, earning the team’s second win of the season.
  • The 34-year-old has called 90 races in NASCAR’s premier series, securing one win, four top fives, 18 top 10s and seven pole awards.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet ZL1

  • Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet ZL1, will make his 60th NASCAR Cup Series start in Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
  • The Portage, Mich., native will be joined by Michigan-based Zeigler Auto Group for his second Cup Series appearance at the two-mile oval after a 10th-place showing in the 2024 event.
  • Zeigler Auto Group has turned the No. 77 Chevy gold in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary. Zeigler Auto Group is one of the largest privately-owned dealer groups in the U.S. with 84 franchises across 41 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Vehicle brands represented include all the domestic and majority of the imported manufacturers. The family-owned and -operated organization has been a regular on the Cup Series tour since 2019.
  • The Firekeepers Casino 400 will be Hocevar’s third race of the week. He’ll first take to the track Tuesday night at Berlin Raceway near Grand Rapids for the Money in the Bank 150 Super Late Model race. Hocevar won the prestigious event in 2020 and 2021 and will compete alongside fellow Cup Series competitor and Michigan native Erik Jones. He took victory in the 2024 Battle at Berlin, his last appearance at the historic Michigan short track.
  • Following his trip to Berlin, Hocevar will make his way 135 miles east to Michigan International Speedway to prepare for his first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start at the venue. It will be his third CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start of the season and first since taking the checkered flag in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway.
  • The 22-year-old driver is fresh of his second runner-up finish of the season after a stout showing at Nashville Superspeedway. Hocevar started 26th for the 300-lap event, steadily working his way toward the top five by the conclusion of Stage Two. From there, the reigning Cup Series Rookie of the Year ran consistent lap times and was aided by a lightning-fast pit stop from the No. 77 team to claim the second position with 30 laps remaining in the event. The result tied his career-best Cup Series finish, first earned on February 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Hocevar’s finish at Nashville resulted in a net gain of five positions in the Cup Series driver point standings, placing the No. 77 team just four points behind the Playoff cut line.

Carson Hocevar Quotes
You’re headed back home to Michigan and riding the wave of another second-place finish. How do you carry that momentum over to a bigger, faster track and balance the environment of being at your hometrack?
“I’m really excited to get to Michigan and have a chance to improve on our race from last year. I’ve been saying for a few weeks that we’ve improved so much and, thankfully, we finally put a race together where that shows. There are definitely some lessons and things that we learn each week that will only continue to make us better down the line, but I think we have a good chance to keep things going to get another top five or top 10 this weekend.

“There is for sure a balance that has to happen in terms of showing appreciation to fans and friends who come to the track and staying aware of the job that we’re there to do. I work on that every weekend just as much as I work on my race craft. It’s an ever-evolving process and we have a solid group that holds me accountable to make sure I’m giving my attention to all of those different areas.”

How much does it benefit you to race in events outside of the Cup Series?
“I feel like it helps a lot. Not so much in terms of things specific to the car and what we can do, but just having that time on track to be in race mode. I love racing and I’m happiest when I’m getting to do that, but I think it does help that I can be in that racing mindset more often and earlier in the weekend. I also really enjoy getting to be around fans. It makes me a better driver to hear what they love about our sport and know that we’re making a difference.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Luke Lambert

  • Crew chief Luke Lambert will call his 20th Cup Series race at Michigan in Sunday’s race. In his previous 19 races, he’s led drivers to five top-10 finishes and earned a fourth-place finish with Ryan Newman in 2017.
  • The Mount Airy, N.C., native has now completed 58 races atop the pit box for Hocevar with 50 of those starts occurring with Spire Motorsports. Together they’ve earned three top-five, nine top-10 finishes, and captured Hocevar’s first Cup Series pole award on May 3 at Texas Motor Speedway.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 10, 2025, when Carson Hocevar took the checkered flag in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.

Spire Motorsports DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • The DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics marks the first time Spire Motorsports will field a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series entry at Michigan International Speedway. The Mooresville, N.C., organization fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets full time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Nos. 07 and 7 entries will see a rotating roster of all-star caliber drivers throughout the season, while Caruth and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Andres Perez de Lara will pilot the Nos. 71 and 77 respectively, for the full slate of races.
  • The 125-lap event will be televised live on FOX Saturday, June 30 beginning at noon Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The 13th of 25 races on the 2025 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar will be broadcast live on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Corey LaJoie – Driver, No. 07 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Corey LaJoie will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 07 Gainbridge Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
  • Saturday’s 125-lap event will mark the Concord, N.C., native’s sixth CRAFTSMAN Truck Series start, fourth with Spire Motorsports and first since February 2024 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. LaJoie registered a career-best 10th-place result at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in August 2014.
  • LaJoie returns to Spire Motorsports having been a key player in building the team’s NASCAR Cup Series program. He made 136 starts behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet, tallying four top fives and eight top 10s, while registering a career-best fourth-place finish three times, most recently in the 2024 season-opening Daytona 500.
  • The father of three owns 11 Cup Series starts at the two-mile D-shaped oval, earning a career-best 15th-place finish in the 2023 event.
  • Founded in 2018, Gainbridge® is an insurtech subsidiary of Group 1001 that empowers consumers to take control of their financial future with solutions that are accessible to everyone, no matter their budget or financial knowledge. Its platform provides access to financial products that are simple, intuitive, and backed by smart technology with no complexity or hidden fees. Gainbridge® is headquartered in Zionsville, Ind. For more information, visit www.gainbridge.io or follow and connect with us on X and LinkedIn.
  • LaJoie will compete in nine events with the No. 07 team in 2025, returning to the seat in August at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. He will round out his schedule at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (Aug. 30), Bristol Motor Speedway (Sep. 11), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sep. 20), Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (Oct. 3), Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 17), Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (Oct. 24), and Phoenix Raceway (Oct. 31).
  • “Supershoe” will be at the controls of Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-091 Saturday afternoon. The truck made its maiden voyage at Kansas last month, finishing in the runner-up position with William Byron at the wheel.

Corey LaJoie Quote
What will be the challenges of getting into a truck while a majority of your experience comes in Cup Series cars?
“I’m excited to get acclimated back into the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The No. 07 team has had some good runs this year, so hopefully we can have a couple more. I’ve only ran three truck races with Spire, so I’ll have to get used to these draggy things. The trucks drive like a cup car with a 40-foot trailer attached to the back. It will be an adjustment. Michigan is one of my favorite racetracks, so we should be good to be in contention, which is what we’re all going for here.”

Atop the No. 07 Box – Crew Chief Allen Hart

  • Allen Hart calls the shots for the No. 07 team, an entry that has seen a rotating roster of drivers throughout the 2025 campaign.
  • The Midland, Mich., native returns to his home state, competing at a venue only a mere two hours from his hometown. The 2005 mechanical engineering graduate earned his degree from Saginaw Valley (Mich.) State University, located in University Center.
  • Last Friday at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, the No. 07 team and driver Kyle Busch were forced to serve an early drive-through penalty for a restart violation, putting the team at a severe track position disadvantage. The Gainbridge Silverado lacked rear grip throughout the night and crossed the finish line in 15th.
  • The 43-year-old earned his first career win in a crew chief role in March’s Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After a spin midway through the Final Stage, Kyle Larson made an impressive run through the field over the event’s final 40 circuits, chasing down the leaders with two laps remaining to make the winning move.
  • Through 12 races, No. 07 team sits ninth in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Carson Hocevar, driver of the No. 7 Delaware Life Chevrolet Silverado, will make his third CRAFSMAN Truck Series start of the season in Friday’s DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
  • The Saturday afternoon’s 250-miler will be Hocevar’s second of three races this week. He’ll first take to the track Tuesday night at Berlin Raceway near Grand Rapids in the Money in the Bank 150 Super Late Model race. Hocevar won the prestigious event in 2020 and 2021 and will compete alongside fellow Cup Series competitor and Michigan native Erik Jones. On Sunday, he will resume his normal duties behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevrolet ZL1 in the FireKeepers Casino 400.
  • The last time the Michigan-native competed at Berlin Raceway he secured a victory in last August’s Battle at Berlin 250.
  • Last month, Hocevar and the No. 7 team claimed victory in the Heart of Health Care 200 at Kansas Speedway. He led 75 of the event’s 134 laps and survived last-lap contact with a competitor en route to his fifth victory in the series and first aboard a Spire Motorsports-prepared Silverado.
  • The Portage, Mich., native is a veteran of 79 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races, earning five wins, 22 top fives and 34 top 10s while leading 675 laps. He made the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in all three full-time seasons, reaching the Championship 4 in 2023.
  • The five-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner will will round out his four-race CRAFTSMAN Truck Series slate at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in two weeks.
  • The 22-year-old driver is fresh off his second runner-up finish of the Cup Series season after a stout showing at Nashville Superspeedway. Hocevar started 26th for the 300-lap event, steadily working his way toward the top five by the conclusion of Stage Two. From there, the reigning Cup Series Rookie of the Year ran consistent lap times and was aided by a lightning-fast pit stop from the No. 77 team to claim the second position with 30 laps remaining in the event. The result tied his career-best finish in NASCAR’s premier series, first earned on February 23 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Hocevar’s finish at Nashville resulted in a gain of five positions in the Cup Series driver point standings, placing the No. 77 team just four points behind the Playoff cut line with 12 races remaining.
  • Delaware Life is an insurance and annuity company that empowers financial professionals with a wide array of customizable solutions. A subsidiary of Group 1001 Insurance Holdings LLC, Delaware Life focuses on delivering a seamless experience for advisors. The company understands how important it is to find the right fit for every client, every situation and every individual need. Delaware Life is passionate about equipping advisors with annuities that give their customers peace of mind and a successful future, allowing them to plan with confidence for whatever’s next.
  • Hocevar will race Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-086 Friday night, the same truck he raced at Texas last month before falling out of contention for a top-five finish when he lost voltage under green-flag conditions and was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop. The team ultimately finished 17th.

Carson Hocevar Quote
How much does it benefit you to race in events outside of the Cup Series?
“I feel like it helps a lot. Not so much in terms of things specific to the car and what we can do, but just having that time on track to be in race mode. I love racing and I’m happiest when I’m getting to do that, but I think it does help that I can be in that racing mindset more often and earlier in the weekend. I also really enjoy getting to be around fans. It makes me a better driver to hear what they love about our sport and know that we’re making a difference.”

Atop the No. 7 Box – Crew Chief Brian Pattie

  • Brian Pattie stands atop of the No. 7 pit box, an entry that has seen an abundance of all-star caliber drivers behind the wheel throughout the 2025 season.
  • Pattie will team up with Carson Hocevar for the third time this weekend, fresh off their victory last month at Kansas Speedway.
  • The 50-year-old has yet to call his first CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event at the two-mile D-shaped oval, but has been atop the box for 27 NASCAR Cup Series events. He has earned one top five and nine top 10s, highlighted by a fifth-place result with Clint Bowyer in the August 2013 Pure Michigan 400.
  • Last Friday at Nashville Superspeedway, Corey Day registered a career night by earning his first-career top-10 finish in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series with a fifth-place result. His previous best was 15th in March at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
  • Through 12 races, the No. 7 team sits eighth in the division’s owner’s championship point standings on the strength of two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes.
  • The No. 7 team defended its 2024 victory in the Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February with Kyle Busch behind the wheel. The Las Vegas driver spent all 135 laps in the top 15 while leading a race-high 80 laps and recording a field-leading average running position (3.2) and driver rating (124.6).
  • The 24-year industry veteran spent 14 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division. As a crew chief, he has amassed six wins in Cup Series competition, 11 in the Xfinity Series and seven in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. He stands as one of 11 crew chiefs to win races across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.

Rajah Caruth – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Rajah Caruth will be behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s DQS Solutions and Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
  • Caruth held off a hard-charging Corey Heim and Layne Riggs to earn his second-career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory in last Friday’s Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. After hitting pit road for the final time in the third position, the No. 71 pit crew nailed the stop, putting the driver out front to start the Final Stage. He led the final 51 laps en route to the win.
  • The 22-year-old’s only prior Michigan start came in the 2022 ARCA Menards Series event. He rolled off from the fourth position and crossed the finish line in sixth. Additionally, Caruth owns an Xfinity Series appearance at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway, another two-mile D-shaped oval, in 2023 with Alpha Prime Racing.
  • Through the first 12 events on the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series calendar, Caruth has earned one win, three top fives and seven top 10s, while pacing the field for 186 circuits – tripling his 57 laps led entering the year.
  • HENDRICKCARS.COM is the online home for everything Hendrick Automotive Group. Visitors can shop more than 30,000 new or pre-owned vehicles, locate centers for service and collision repair, receive a value to sell or trade their car, chat online with customer service, discover career opportunities, learn more about vehicle protection programs, and explore how the company gives back to the community.
  • The 2024 season marked a career year for Caruth, tallying one win, a pair of Cometic Gasket Pole Awards and five top-five finishes, all of which were the first of his young career. The 12 top-10 finishes on the season tripled Caruth’s total of four in 2023, while his average starting position of 10.7 was four positions higher than 2023 and his 11.6 average finish was an impressive seven positions higher.
  • With his first career CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last season, Caruth became the third African-American driver to win a NASCAR National Touring Series race, joining 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Wendell Scott and current Cup Series star Bubba Wallace.
  • Caruth and the No. 71 team qualified for the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series playoffs in 2024, the first such appearance for the former Washington, D.C., resident. Despite reaching the Round of 8, mechanical issues stalled his championship bid in the season’s penultimate event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
  • The blue and white HENDRICKCARS.COM colors will wrap Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-090. In the truck’s maiden voyage last month at Kansas, Caruth was competing comfortably in the top five until a late-race pit-road speeding penalty derailed the evening.

Rajah Caruth Quotes
Coming off the win last weekend, how do you carry the momentum into Michigan?
“The biggest thing I am focusing on is keeping up with my process and doing the same things. It keeps my mind at peace. Compared to Vegas last year, I am a lot better equipped to handle the personal side of it away from the racetrack. It is always a good thing for me to go back to the track and get in the mindset to compete. I am not someone who gets too high or too low. I keep rolling with the punches. I’m excited to get to Michigan this week and compete for another win. We are right in General Motors’ backyard, and hopefully we can have a good showing for them.”

Michigan marks the sixth and final race of the six-week stretch. How do you assess how this run of races has gone and how do you finish on a high note?
“I think closing out this stretch will be good for our guys. They’ve been working really hard the last six weeks. Tracy (Ramsey, hauler driver) has been logging a lot of miles and spent a lot of time on the road. It will be good for everyone to chill out next week and be with their families.

“Over the six weeks, we have been consistently faster than when we started the season. I’m really proud of it. I have been improving through the year, but so has my team and the Silverados they have been bringing to the track. A good finish would be good to keep the momentum up over the off week and heading into the final stretch before the playoffs.”

Atop the No. 71 Box – Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion

  • Veteran crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion has called five CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events at Michigan International Speedway, tallying one win and two top fives. In 2020, Manion led Zane Smith to his first-career win in the series. Smith lined up sixth for a second NASCAR Overtime restart and completed the winning pass in Turn 2 on the final lap. The event that took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic stands as the last visit to the track located in the Irish Hills of Michigan.
  • The Boylston, Mass., native adds two Xfinity Series top-five results and a pair of runner-up finishes in the 2007 NASCAR Cup Series events at the track, all of which came with driver Martin Truex, Jr.
  • Manion, a 31-year veteran of the sport, founded Spire Motorsports’ CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program alongside industry veteran Mike Greci in 2022. The team claimed their first victory in their second outing with William Byron behind the wheel at Martinsville Speedway.
  • The 53-year-old has racked up six Cup Series victories – including the 2010 Daytona 500 – 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs and 12 CRAFTSMAN Truck series wins. Manion is also one of 11 crew chiefs to have called wins across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.
  • In 2023, Manion became one of few to call a race in all three of NASCAR’s national series in a single season, all of which came under the Spire Motorsports umbrella. He led the part-time effort on the No. 7 Silverado in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, helped in limited starts for Carson Hocevar in the Xfinity Series and took the reigns during the second half of the Cup Series season for Ty Dillon and the No. 77 team.

Andres Perez de Lara – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado

  • Andres Perez de Lara will pilot the No. 77 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the DQS Solution and Staffing 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
  • Last week at Nashville Superspeedway, Perez de Lara finished 19th after losing valuable track position on the final restart of the day.
  • The Mexico City native will make his third career start at Michigan International Speedway and his first in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. In two ARCA Menards Series appearances, the 2024 series champion secured a pair of General Tire Pole Awards and finished in the runner-up position last August, a mere seven-tenths-of-a-second behind race-winner Connor Zilisch.
  • Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.
  • Beyond technology, Telcel is committed to supporting excellence in sports, particularly in motorsports. As a proud and long-time sponsor of Perez de Lara, Telcel fuels the passion for speed, precision and performance, driving success both on and off the track. Telcel will be a season-long partner with Perez de Lara and the No. 77 team.
  • The 20-year-old has made 14 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series starts, 13 of which were behind the wheel of a Spire Motorsports Chevy Silverado. He earned his first-career top 10 in his CRAFTSMAN Truck Series debut last June at World Wide Technology Raceway via a ninth-place result. His career-best seventh-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in March marked his second top 10 in the series.
  • The Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender juggled his duties while also competing full time in the NASCAR Mexico Series. In 2023, he earned the Rookie of the Year award while finishing fourth in the division’s championship point standings and reaching the series’ version of the NASCAR playoffs.
  • Spire Manufacturing chassis SMT-088 will be driven by Perez de Lara Friday night. The truck made its first appearance last month at Kansas Speedway.

Andres Perez de Lara Quotes
You’ve shown speed and put together good runs at Michigan in ARCA. What are your thoughts heading to the track for the first time in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series?
“I am super excited to head to Michigan this week. It is one of my favorite tracks . I had my best results in ARCA there. I was close to the win there last year but came up short in the closing laps. The track is still fresh in my mind and the trucks have not been there in a long time. I think that gives me an advantage. I know the track and I know my team will bring me a fast Telcel Silverado this weekend. I hope we get to show our speed this weekend.”

Through your preparation heading into the weekend, what do you believe are the similarities between the trucks and ARCA cars at Michigan?
“In my simulator time, the trucks and ARCA cars drive pretty similar at Michigan. One thing that will differ is how demanding the race will be. Michigan is one of the most demanding tracks I have raced on, and with the race this weekend being longer, it will be even more demanding. The speeds we will carry in the draft will add to it. I know that Chad (Walter) and the rest of the No. 77 team has built a fast Chevy Silverado that we can go compete with this weekend.”

Atop the No. 77 Box – Crew Chief Chad Walter

  • Walter has called one CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race in Michigan’s Irish Hills. Driver Tyler Ankrum avoided late-race carnage to collect a hard-charging fourth place finish on August 7, 2020.
  • In eight NASCAR Xfinity Series events atop the box at Michigan, the Cornell (N.Y.) University graduate collected two top fives and four top 10s, collecting a venue-best fourth-place result with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin in 2008.
  • The 51-year-old is no stranger to success at another high-speed two-mile oval, Auto Club Speedway, serving as the lead race engineer for Kyle Busch’s first-career Cup Series win. He led a race-high 95 laps en route to victory in only his 31st start.
  • Between NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the Albion, N.Y. native has racked up six wins, 52 top fives and 131 top 10s.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway.

In 2025, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolets in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team also fields the Nos. 07, 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Silverados in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and the No. 77 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series in select events.

2026 NHRA GATORNATIONALS TO KICK OFF NHRA’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON ON MARCH 5-8

By
Official Release
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (June 3, 2025) – NHRA’s special 75th anniversary season will open at famed Gainesville Raceway, as officials announced today the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will begin March 5-8 with the 57th annual NHRA Gatornationals at the legendary facility in Gainesville.

It will also serve as the kickoff to the historic 75th NHRA season, one that will feature a yearlong celebration of NHRA drag racing. Tickets for the 75th anniversary season opener in Gainesville will go on sale Aug. 25, while the full 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule will be announced soon.

The NHRA Gatornationals will be chocked full of special items to start the 75th anniversary season, including appearances by NHRA legends, special appearances and displays and so much more. Already one of the biggest and most incredible events on the NHRA tour, fans can expect something spectacular and legendary for the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals in 2026.

“As we prepare to celebrate the NHRA’s 75th anniversary in 2026, it’s very exciting to announce that we will launch this historic season at the Gatornationals — one of the most iconic events in our sport,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “Gainesville has been a cornerstone of NHRA tradition for more than 50 years, and it’s the perfect venue to honor the NHRA’s rich history, our fans and all the incredible competitors who have made up NHRA drag racing.

“This event kicks off our 2026 and also starts a season-long celebration of the NHRA’s rich history, biggest moments and the incredible racing community that has been part of NHRA for 75 years. Starting in Gainesville, we can’t wait to showcase everything that makes the NHRA so special in 2026.”

All the 75th anniversary items, appearances and special events planned for the Gatornationals will be released in the coming months.

The historic NHRA Gatornationals has been synonymous with some of the biggest moments in NHRA history, with the race playing an important role in every driver’s legacy. For more than five decades, winning in Gainesville has been a goal for every NHRA star and that will certainly be the case in 2026 to kick off the 75th anniversary season.

This year, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Chad Green (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won in Gainesville to start what has been a thrilling 2025 campaign.

Funny Car legend John Force has eight wins in Gainesville to lead all Funny Car drivers, while Warren Johnson’s nine Pro Stock wins at Gainesville Raceway are the most for any driver. Top Fuel legend Tony Schumacher and six-time Pro Stock world champ Greg Anderson both have five wins at the historic race.

Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champ Ron Capps has four Gatornationals victories, while other Gainesville winners include world champs Antron Brown, Brittany Force, Erica Enders, Matt Hagan, Doug Kalitta, Shawn Langdon, J.R. Todd, Cruz Pedregon, Steve Torrence, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Matt Smith and Herrera.

Tickets for the 57th annual NHRA Gatornationals will go on sale on Aug. 25. For more information about the 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 Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock 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.

Iconic Track Renamed EchoPark Speedway

By
Official Release
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HAMPTON, Ga. (June 3, 2025) – Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive introduced the new identity of Georgia’s only NASCAR track today; the iconic, 66-year-old facility in Hampton, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now EchoPark Speedway.

Through a new partnership, the speedway – which hosts two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, including the upcoming June 28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart – will carry the EchoPark brand for the duration of a seven-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.

Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States. EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway. From restart zone signage to fan zone activations and race entitlements, the pre-owned car dealership chain has leveraged resources across nine Speedway Motorsports facilities nationwide to activate its brand and reach race fans and potential new customers. Acquiring the naming rights to one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks is the latest and biggest step in this strategy for EchoPark Automotive.

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

EchoPark Automotive is seen as the number one pre-owned car buying experience, reflected in over 100,000 five-star reviews. Using this iconic sports venue, which is the largest in all of Georgia, will help EchoPark Automotive share the message of the brand to millions locally and nationally through major televised NASCAR events.

EchoPark Speedway’s entire 850-acre facility has undergone a massive facelift in preparation for its upcoming national debut as the opening race for the TNT portion of the NASCAR broadcast schedule and the kickoff event for the new in-season Cup Series tournament. Fans will see the new EchoPark Speedway’s signature green color and the new track logo across track walls, Victory Lane, and throughout the concourse when they attend the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, or tune in nationally at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

The winner of the race will also receive a “nearly new” EchoPark Chevy Silverado and a trailer equipped with an 85th Anniversary, Sturgis Motorcyle Rally Limited Edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle. These exclusive motorcycles can be pre-ordered now at SturgisHD.com, but the very first one of only 26 manufactured will go to the winner of the inaugural EchoPark Speedway race. This incredible prize will be presented to the winner in Victory Lane courtesy of EchoPark Automotive.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible vehicles we sell at EchoPark and share the exposure with another important entity in our Sonic Automotive family,” said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. “The Sturgis Rally is right around the corner, and we know NASCAR fans and drivers will not only love the new presentation of this track, but also the opportunity to see this limited edition Harley-Davidson presented in Victory Lane.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

EchoPark Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, hosting races every year since it opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960. The speedway hosted NASCAR’s season finale from 1987-2000, including the epic conclusion of the 1992 campaign which saw “The King,” Richard Petty, compete in his last NASCAR race; future legend Jeff Gordon make his first NASCAR Cup Series start; and Georgia’s own Bill Elliott win the race – narrowly losing the title to underdog owner-driver Alan Kulwicki.

Racing enthusiasts have long celebrated EchoPark Speedway’s high-speed, close-quarters racing action and exhilaratingly close finishes. Since its reconfiguration to a 28-degree banked, superspeedway-style track in 2021, that reputation has only been further bolstered. Three- and four-wide racing with abundant lead changes have become the norm when NASCAR visits Atlanta. In February 2024, EchoPark Speedway saw the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history with race winner Daniel Suárez eclipsing Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by just 0.003 and 0.007 seconds, respectively. Earlier this year, a new record was set for most lead changes at the speedway. This month’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is expected to continue that trend of thrilling NASCAR action in Atlanta.

EchoPark Speedway will host two NASCAR national touring series during the spectacular June 26-28 summer event. Schedules, tickets, and camping for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend, can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.

About EchoPark Speedway:

EchoPark Speedway is a premier entertainment venue located about 30 miles south of Atlanta, Ga.

Since 1960, EchoPark Speedway has been a staple of the NASCAR calendar and currently hosts two weekends of racing in the spring and fall each year. When NASCAR isn’t in town, EchoPark Speedway’s versatile facility hosts an assortment of events that attract visitors from near and far, from Monster Jam to the Georgia State Fair and everything between.

For more information on EchoPark Speedway and to see upcoming events at the facility, visit www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.

About Sonic Automotive:

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is on a quest to become the most valuable diversified automotive retail and service brand in America. Our Company culture thrives on creating, innovating, and providing industry-leading guest experiences, driven by strategic investments in technology, teammates, and ideas that ultimately fulfill ownership dreams, enrich lives, and deliver happiness to our guests and teammates. As one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in America, we are committed to delivering on this goal while pursuing expansive growth and taking progressive measures to be the leader in these categories. Our new platforms, programs, and people are set to drive the next generation of automotive and powersports experiences. More information about Sonic Automotive can be found at sonicautomotive.com and ir.sonicautomotive.com.

About the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart:

Atlanta’s Night Race returns with the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, 2025. Sparks will fly as NASCAR’s best duel under the lights on EchoPark Speedway’s challenging high banks.

The rising stars of the NASCAR Xfinity Series bring the action Friday night in the Focused Health 250 on June 27.

Adding even higher stakes to the weekend is the first running of NASCAR’s $1 million In-Season Tournament. 32 of NASCAR’s stars will be paired against each other in a bracket-style elimination tournament that begins at EchoPark Speedway.

More information on the June 26-28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend and ticket availability can be found online at www.EchoParkSpeedway.com.

Ford Looks to Start New Michigan Cup Winning Streak This Weekend

By
Official Release
-

MICHIGAN

Saturday, June 7 — NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Noon ET (FOX)
Sunday, June 8 — NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (PRIME VIDEO)

Ford will be looking to start a new winning streak in the NASCAR Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway after its nine-race stretch of victories ended last season. There is no track on the NASCAR circuit that Ford has been more successful at than MIS, winning 44 times overall.

This weekend also marks the return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to the two-mile facility for the first time since 2020.

FORD ALL-TIME MICHIGAN WINS LEADER

Since Michigan International Speedway opened in 1969 there have been 107 NASCAR Cup Series races and Ford Motor Company has won more than half of them (52%). Overall, the company has 56 MIS victories with 44 being Ford and 12 Mercury. David Pearson is the track’s all-time leader in wins with nine (all Mercury) while Bill Elliott has the most Ford wins with seven.

HERITAGE TROPHY SUCCESS

Since Michigan International Speedway began handing out the Heritage Trophy to the winning manufacturer in August 2013, Ford has taken it back to World Headquarters in nearby Dearborn more times than any other manufacturer. Ford has won 11 races since the trophy came into existence while Chevrolet has won six and Toyota two. Joey Logano’s win in the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 18, 2013 was his first win with Ford and new car owner Roger Penske, but it also marked the first time the trophy was awarded. Logano, who won the pole and led a race-high 51 laps, passed Mark Martin for the lead with four laps to go after Martin’s car ran out of gas.

3-FOR-3 IN 2025

Ryan Blaney’s victory on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway means that all three Team Penske drivers have a win this season. Blaney followed Austin Cindric (Talladega) and Joey Logano (Texas) in clinching a playoff berth, and it continues an impressive record for the organization. Since Team Penske went to three NASCAR Cup Series cars in 2018, it has seen each team win at least one race in the same season six times. Overall, Team Penske has won 104 races with Ford and the current lineup of Blaney, Cindric and Logano have combined for 51 of those.

JACK’S BACKYARD

Jack Roush has had ties to the state of Michigan ever since he started working at Ford Motor Company in 1964 after graduating from Berea College. He has called the state his home ever since and that includes Michigan International Speedway, a place where he has had a great deal of success. Roush has seen his teams win 14 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, and five times each in the NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Included in that are victories by Greg Biffle in 2013 that was Ford’s 1000th in NASCAR’s top three series combined, and Kurt Busch’s triumph in 2003 on the same weekend Ford Motor Company celebrated its 100th anniversary.

JOEY LOGANO: IS MORE EMPHASIS PUT ON THE RACE AT MICHIGAN? “No more emphasis than any other race. We try to win them all. It’s not like we say, ‘Ah, this one doesn’t matter. We’ll just coast this one through.’ That’s not who we are. We don’t do that because every race matters, especially with the playoff format we have. Every win, every playoff point that you can get can be the difference at the end of the day, so we don’t really put more into any of them. I will say though that the manufacturers take pride in that trophy that they hand out there to the winning manufacturer, so it’s always a topic of discussion. We go up there early more times than not and go visit Ford headquarters and it’s a topic that comes up. They want that trophy in their main lobby, so when people walk in they can walk by it.”

RYAN PREECE: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE RACE AT MICHIGAN? “When it’s in your OEM’s backyard, you want to be the guy that carries the flag and wins for them. With Jack and everybody with Roush being from Michigan, with Ford and being the guy – like Chris has been super, super fast at Michigan and been able to win – so I think when we go to Michigan as a company at RFK, we want to be the ones that win it for Ford and carry the banner, carry the flag. Obviously, having a teammate like him and Brad, we have a really solid baseline and with Chris doing the test a month or so ago, I feel really confident going in there that we have three really good chances to do that.”

TEAM PENSKE REGISTERS 50TH WIN WITH FORD

Joey Logano started and won from the pole for the second time in his career at Michigan International Speedway when he captured the June race in 2016. Logano finished ahead of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson with Penske teammate Brad Keselowski ending up fourth. The new aerodynamic package, promising to produce lower downforce, didn’t disappoint as there were 14 lead changes with Logano leading six times for 138 total laps. The win gave Team Penske its 50th Cup win with Ford and produced the 100th victory for Roush Yates Engines in the NASCAR Cup Series.

FOUR STRAIGHT FOR AWESOME BILL

Bill Elliott is the only driver to win four straight NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, sweeping both events in 1985 and ’86, and he capped that impressive streak in dominating fashion. Elliott led 125-of-200 laps on Aug. 17, 1986 to beat Tim Richmond to the finish line and win the Champion Spark Plug 400. Elliott went on to win seven career races at MIS and currently ranks third on the all-time list, trailing only David Pearson (9) and Cale Yarborough (8).

JARRETT WINS FIRST CUP RACE

Dale Jarrett registered his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in memorable fashion at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 1991. Jarrett, who was in his second season driving for the Wood Brothers, found himself in a furious battle with Davey Allison, who stalked him over the final dozen laps in his No. 28 Texaco Havoline Thunderbird. Allison made a move to the outside coming off turn four and got alongside Jarrett as the two took the white flag together. They took turns exchanging the lead, but never left each other’s side. As they came off turn four both Fords made contact, but it was Jarrett who ended up edging Allison by eight inches at the finish line.

BIFFLE WINS FORD’S 1,000TH

Greg Biffle posted Ford’s 1,000th NASCAR victory when he took the checkered flag on June 16, 2013 in the Quicken Loans 400. The milestone win, which included combined victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series, was Biffle’s second straight at MIS and fourth overall. The race was shaping up to be a battle between Biffle, who was leading, and a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson, but a flat tire ended Johnson’s chances with two laps to go.

RIGGS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Layne Riggs continued his recent tear at the front of the field as he finished fifth or better for the third straight race, coming home third last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. Riggs, who ranks second in the series in stage wins with three and is sixth in the point standings, was second at North Wilkesboro Speedway and fourth at Charlotte Motor Speedway before leading 30 laps and winning Stage 1 on Friday night.

BIFFLE GOES BACK-TO-BACK

Greg Biffle won the first two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races ever held at Michigan International Speedway, taking the inaugural event in 1999 and following that up in 2000. Biffle, who is Ford’s all-time leader in series victories with 16, led the most laps in both events and went on to claim the championship in 2000 after winning five times for owner Jack Roush.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

AT MICHIGAN

1969 – David Pearson (2)

1984 – Bill Elliott (1)

1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1986 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1987 – Bill Elliott (2)

1988 – Davey Allison (2)

1989 – Bill Elliott (1)

1990 – Mark Martin (2)

1991 – Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett

1992 – Davey Allison (1)

1993 – Mark Martin (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine

1996 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett

1997 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin

1998 – Mark Martin (1)

1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)

2000 – Rusty Wallace (2)

2002 – Matt Kenseth and Dale Jarrett

2003 – Kurt Busch (1)

2004 – Greg Biffle (2)

2005 – Greg Biffle (1)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)

2007 – Carl Edwards (1)

2008 – Carl Edwards (2)

2012 – Greg Biffle (2)

2013 – Greg Biffle and Joey Logano

2016 – Joey Logano (1)

2018 – Clint Bowyer (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)

2019 – Joey Logano (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)

2020 – Kevin Harvick (Sweep)

2021 – Ryan Blaney

2022 – Kevin Harvick

2023 – Chris Buescher

FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT MICHIGAN

1999 – Greg Biffle

2000 – Greg Biffle

2007 – Travis Kvapil

2008 – Erik Darnell

2009 – Colin Braun

The Ford Mustang, celebrating its 61st anniversary in 2025, is the world’s best selling sports car. It is also one of the planet’s most popular race cars. With Mustang-based race cars competing in international sports car competition (GT3 and GT4), NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Drift, in Australian Supercars, at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and in its own bespoke one-make series – Mustang Cup and Mustang Challenge – the platform has an unprecedented global reach. This weekend, 40 Mustang race cars are scheduled to race across all disciplines. Learn more at FordPerformance.com.

Tony Stewart & Matt Hagan Bristol Advance for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals

By
Official Release
-

Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage
Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
SUPERGRIP NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
June 6-8 | Bristol, Tennessee

Event Overview

Friday, June 6 (Nitro Qualifying, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

Nitro qualifying session (Q1): 6 p.m. EDT
Nitro qualifying session (Q2): 8:30 p.m. EDT

Saturday, June 7 (Nitro Qualifying & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

Top Fuel qualifying session (Q3) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge – Round 1: 12:30 p.m. EDT
Funny Car qualifying session (Q3) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge – Round 1: 1:05 p.m. EDT
Top Fuel qualifying session (Q4) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge – Finals: 3 p.m. EDT
Funny Car qualifying session (Q4) & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge – Finals: 3:35 p.m. EDT

Sunday, June 8 (Nitro Eliminations, streamed live on NHRA.TV)

Round 1: 12 p.m. EDT
Round 2: 2:15 p.m. EDT
Semi-Finals: 3:50 p.m. EDT
Finals: 5:15 p.m. EDT

TV coverage on FS1

Friday, June 6: Qualifying Show (7:30 p.m. EDT)
Saturday, June 7: Qualifying Show 2 (8 p.m. EDT)
Sunday, June 8: Finals (3 p.m. EDT)

Notes of Interest

The SUPERGRIP NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway hosts the eighth event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ 20-race calendar in 2025. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) brings its two full-time entries – one in Top Fuel for Tony Stewart and one in Funny Car for 52-time Funny Car winner and four-time champion Matt Hagan.

Coming into Bristol, Stewart is leading the Top Fuel standings, 71 points ahead of Shawn Langdon. Hagan is fourth in the Funny Car standings, 95 points behind leader Austin Prock.

Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage (JHG) is the primary partner of Hagan and Stewart this weekend in Bristol. JHG was formed in 2021 and brings a passion and flare to the automotive world. They aim to inspire, drive and celebrate progress. JHG spans across Jason Johnson’s car collection featuring more than 200 sought after vehicles from classics, to hot rods and supercars. Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage’s mission is to preserve and showcase the automotive industry. The vehicles are driven to and displayed at events by Johnson and his team with the goal of growing interest and keeping car culture thriving. Johnson’s history in the industry began with Mather Auto Dismantler, Mather Mini Trucks and U-Pull It in Northern California. He later held an instrumental role in the growth and success of Copart, Inc., a global provider of online vehicle auction and remarketing services. JHG also serves as a primary sponsor of Elite Motorsports in the NHRA Pro Stock series.

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will mark Stewart’s 28th career Top Fuel start and his second at Bristol. For Hagan, the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will be his 360th career Funny Car start and his 16th at Bristol.

Stewart is looking for his first victory at the Thunder Valley Nationals and his first No. 1 qualifier at the event. In 2024, he secured the No. 8 qualifying position and ran a 5.131 ET at 148.41 mph in Round 1 of eliminations, which lost to Doug Foley’s 3.878 ET at 301.74 mph.

Stewart is coming off a runner-up finish last weekend in Epping, New Hampshire. He has compiled a 15-3 elimination record in his last five starts and Stewart is the only Top Fuel driver who has advanced past Round 1 in each event this season.

On August 25, 2001, Stewart won his only NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Sharpie 500.

Hagan has one career win at Bristol in 2015 (4.164 ET at 303.23 mph) when he defeated Ron Capps (4.186 ET at 307.02 mph). He also advanced to the finals in 2016, but his 4.030 ET at 317.57 mph run fell short of the one from Tommy Johnson Jr. (4.038 ET at 313.22 mph). Hagan is seeking his first No. 1 qualifier at the event.

Hagan is the current track record holder at Bristol for speed with a run of 330.34 mph, a mark he set on Oct. 16, 2021. Bristol is the only track that currently hosts an event in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series at which Hagan has never started from the No. 1 qualifying position. He is trying to extend the longest active win streak in the fuel categories. Hagan has won at least one tour event for 11 straight seasons.

By advancing to the Semifinals at the NHRA New England Nationals, Stewart qualified to participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The challenge brings competitive racing to the qualifying schedule at 13 regular-season events during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series campaign, pitting semifinalists from the previous race against each other in a pair of rematches, with the two winners then matching up in the final qualifying session. Stewart earned a rematch against Antron Brown in Round 1. There is a bonus purse and bonus points for the Countdown to the Championship on the line.

Stewart will participate in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty autograph session on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. EDT. The session will take place at the Mission Foods Display.

Hagan, Leah Pruett and Stewart will participate in a Dodge autograph session on Friday from 4:45-5:15 p.m. EDT and on Saturday from 11:15-11:45 a.m. EDT. Both sessions will take place in the pits at the Dodge display.

Hagan and Stewart will participate in autograph signings at the Tony Stewart Store merchandise trailer. Stewart will be signing on Friday from 4:00-4:25 p.m. EDT and again on Saturday from 1:45-2:15 p.m. EDT. Hagan will be signing on Friday from 7:00-7:30 p.m. EDT.

Hagan and Stewart will participate in a Fan Fest autograph session following Q4 on Saturday. The signing will take place at the Guest Welcome Tent in the Midway.

American Rebel Beer CEO Andy Ross will be performing a free concert for the fans between Q3 and Q4 on Saturday. The concert will take place in the Midway next to the Dodge display.

Hagan and Stewart will be available to speak with the media on Friday at 3:15 p.m. EDT in the Bristol Dragway Media Center.

Tony Stewart, Driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster

You’re representing Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage for their first race as primary sponsor on the Top Fuel Dragster this season. How special will it be carrying their colors?

“Jason (Johnson), Nikki (Johnson) and everyone at Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage are awesome people and they are fun to be around. They are a partner we always look forward to racing with and seeing at the races, even if they aren’t the primary on the car. They know how to have fun, so I’m excited for both Matt (Hagan) and I to be in their colors this weekend. Hopefully we can take them to the Finals again.”

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will mark the completion of the first half of the regular season, prior to the Countdown. By the end of the weekend, teams will have established their routines, so how will that help you and your crew carry momentum through the second half of the regular season?

“I’m excited with where we’re at. We felt the summer in hot conditions would be our strong suit with where our program is at. But, after last weekend and having cooler weather in New Hampshire, it is encouraging that we were number two qualifier and had respectable runs all day on Sunday. I feel like we’re in a better spot than what I’ve been giving us credit for and I think that’s a good thing. Like I told the guys in Chicago, it’s one thing to get to the top, but it’s another thing to stay there. We have to keep our nose to the ground and keep working hard. It’s hard after a year like we had last year because the guys were catching their breath a little bit. It’s easy to get complacent, so we’re keeping the pressure on the guys and they understand why because they want success also. We can’t ease up and have to keep our foot on the throttle. We had some hiccups at the Charlotte race and the guys have really responded since then and been rock solid. I’m really proud of them. It’s fun showing up at the racetrack knowing we have a good race car. We have great guys working on it and I feel like I’m progressing a little bit as a driver with my lights. We’re all working hard to make ourselves better and we’re all supporting each other. It’s the ‘One Team, All Team’ philosophy, so we’re just going to keep pushing forward.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car

Bristol is considered a home race for you. You also made a visit to Bristol for a customer driving event and NHRA media to promote the event. What makes the event so special?

“Bristol is home with it being two hours down the road, so hopefully we’ll see a lot of people wearing Matt Hagan shirts. I think the last couple years, I’ve outsold Tony (Stewart) on shirts, so that’s kind of cool. I’ve only won there once and it was on Father’s Day, so that was really special to me. We need to pull down a few wins, so I think it’d be a great time to start this weekend.”

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals will mark the completion of the first half of the regular season, prior to the Countdown. By the end of the weekend, teams will have established their routines, so how will that help you and your crew carry momentum through the second half of the regular season?

“I think we are still learning. We have new crew chiefs (Mike Knudsen and Phil Shuler) and a great group of guys. We almost have to take this year as ‘learn mode.’ Any time we roll up to the starting line, it’s the first time Mike Knudsen is making the call at that track. He’s doing a great job and I am extremely proud of him and also Phil Shuler. They’re making great calls. I don’t think you could take a group like that with the new roles they have and ask for any better results than what we’ve had. The car is running really good, we just have to catch a break. Sometimes, the chips have to fall your way and they will, so maybe we’re just saving ours for the later part of the year.”

Julie Nataas to Make Nitro Funny Car Debut in Bristol With Del Worsham

By
Official Release
-

Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Reunites with Airmine for Thunder Valley National

Indianapolis, IN (June 3, 2025) — The wait is over. NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion Julie Nataas will make her Nitro Funny Car debut at this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, June 6–8. With nearly three dozen NHRA Wallys to her name, the Norwegian racing and reality television star is ready to take on what she’s openly described as her toughest challenge yet—strapping into the 12,000-horsepower Airmine Toyota GR Supra powered by DC Motorsports.

After three months of testing, Nataas finished her Nitro Funny Car license requirements in early May under the guidance of team owner and tuner Del Worsham. With standout runs in Gainesville, Phoenix, and Indianapolis, she now takes the next step in her career—backed once again by longtime sponsor Airmine. The Norwegian climate tech company also supported her 2024 Top Fuel debut, making this return a meaningful continuation of their partnership.

“This is a huge moment, and having a hometown brand with global reach like Airmine alongside me again makes it even more special,” said Nataas. “They’re based just down the road from where I grew up in Norway and are changing the way people understand their allergies. They use satellite data to track air quality and pollen levels around the world and are launching a US app coming up, so the timing is perfect.

The debut marks Nataas’s entry into one of NHRA’s most explosive and demanding categories—Nitro Funny Car—where she becomes the first Norwegian driver to compete in the class. She also joins a very short list of female drivers to hold active NHRA licenses in both Nitro categories: Top Fuel and Funny Car—a rare and elite distinction. With additional credentials in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, Nataas stands as one of—if not the—most versatile and credentialed female drivers in the sport today.

The DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra has already turned heads this season, with Bobby Bode driving it to career-best runs and a spot inside the Top 10 before returning to his family team for the summer. Now, with another standout like Nataas in the seat, Del and Connie Worsham continue to do what few in the sport are positioned to do—give deserving, talented drivers a real shot in a competitive Funny Car. In a transitional season for DC Motorsports, the Worshams remain committed to building winners and chasing Wallys. Their goal isn’t just getting Julie in the show—it’s putting her in position to win.

“Julie is smart, focused, and fearless,” said Worsham. “She’s alarmingly self-aware and understands the car. She shares feedback from the run like a seasoned veteran.”

The Thunder Valley Nationals, held at the historic Bristol Dragway and nationally televised on FOX, offers the perfect stage for Nataas’s high-profile debut.

About Julie Nataas
Julie Nataas is a third-generation drag racer from Drøbak, Norway, and the 2023 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion. With NHRA competition licenses in Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Top Fuel, and Nitro Funny Car, she is one of the most versatile and accomplished female drivers in drag racing today. Nataas has earned nearly three dozen NHRA wins and is known for her calm presence behind the wheel and her bold pursuit of new challenges in the sport.

About Airmine
Airmine is a Norwegian climate tech company using satellite data and artificial intelligence to provide real-time air quality and pollen forecasts worldwide. Founded in 2018 just outside Oslo, Airmine helps individuals, businesses, and governments better understand environmental conditions that affect daily life. The company’s app is available globally and trusted by users who want reliable data to manage allergies and respiratory health.

About DC Motorsports
DC Motorsports is a family-run NHRA Funny Car team owned and operated by Del and Connie Worsham. A two-time NHRA world champion and lifelong drag racer, Del Worsham brings decades of experience as a driver, tuner, and team owner. Known for running competitive equipment and mentoring rising stars in the sport, DC Motorsports is committed to performance, professionalism, and giving deserving drivers a true shot at success.

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