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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – Las Vegas Cup Series Post-Race Quotes

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
South Point 400
Sunday, October 12, 2025

Ford Finishing Results

6th – Joey Logano
9th – Ryan Preece
10th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Austin Cindric
12th – Chris Buescher
13th – Noah Gragson
21st – Todd Gilliland
24th – Zane Smith
26th – Josh Berry
28th – Cole Custer
35th – Cody Ware
38th – Ryan Blaney

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – THAT TWO TIRE STOP MADE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE. “We had nothing to lose. We were kind of at the spot where we scored only a couple stage points, I think we were eighth and ninth in both stages and that’s not enough points to points race I didn’t think, so Paul made a good call and put us on the front row. That’s all you can hope for and you hope the two tires are decent. You hope that you can get clean air and maybe block your butt off to where you can do something. I didn’t get the push down the backstretch. The 48 had the option of who to push and he went with the 19, unfortunately, and that was enough to shove him ahead into three and be able to clear me. At that point, it was just kind of trying not to bleed very many spots there at the end. I was just trying to hang on to what I had there to get as many points as possible, so, overall, there were points in the race where I thought we were good enough to go up there and run with those guys on the long haul, and then the third stage we just got really loose and lost a ton of track position and it took us a minute to get the balance back.” EXPECTATIONS GOING INTO TALLADEGA? “The closer we get, the more we’ve got to win. I think we closed the gap a little bit today. I heard we were 21 points out. I’m not sure if that’s right or not, but I haven’t really looked at all the spots yet. It’s still possible to point in, but one of the spots are obviously taken up now.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Sysco/crumbl Ford Mustang Dark Horse –”We had a phenomenal Ford Mustang today. I had a penalty and I made a mistake and sped, which put us in a bad spot. We had that little opportunity with 15 to go and we took advantage of it and drove from 20th to ninth and really, I thought, probably could have been top six. I just need to be a little bit more patient with some of the things I’m learning, but I’m really proud of this Sysco/crumbl Ford Mustang.” AND NOW YOU GO HOME TO A NEW BABY. A BIG WEEK FOR YOU. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna go home to a wife who is gonna be pretty upset that I sped, but I am gonna be happy to be home with my wife and kids.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Mustang Dark Horse – DID YOU HAVE ANY WARNING THE TIRE WAS GOING DOWN? “No, I didn’t have any thoughts that it was gonna blow. As soon as I lifted into three it blew out.” YOU’VE BOUNCED BACK BEFORE AND MADE IT TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4 AFTER HAVING A CRASH IN THIS ROUND. CAN YOU DO IT AGAIN? “I hope so. It’s unfortunate we’ve got to be in these spots, but we’ve got to bounce back.” WHAT DID YOU FEEL BEFORE THE TIRE WENT? “Nothing. It blew as I lifted into three.” HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU? “I’m not overjoyed, I tell you that. We’ll have to come from behind like we did last year. Hopefully, we can win one of the next two weeks. We just can’t have a smooth day it seems like.” GIVEN YOUR PERFORMANCE AT TALLADEGA AND MARTINSVILLE IN THE PAST ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC? “You’ve got to be optimistic. I’m not very happy right now, but tomorrow morning I’ll be optimistic to go to the next race. We’ve had good success at the next two events, so hopefully we can come and bring the speed and try to overcome the hole we put ourselves in today.” IS THIS NOW MUST-WIN TERRITORY? “Yeah. No doubt.” IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU DIDN’T HAVE ANY STEERING. “It destroyed the right-front, the right-rear. It destroyed everything.” WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS PLACE THAT SEEMS TO BITE YOU SO MUCH? “If I knew, I’d try to figure it out, but I have no idea.” WAS IT A LEFT-FRONT OR RIGHT-FRONT THAT BLEW? “I think it was the left-front.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Nexlizet Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a pretty good day. We started in the back and drove up and made a gamble at the end with two tires and ended up 10th. That’s probably all we had. Those guys were really fast and even when we had four tires it was a lot to hold them off.”

CODY WARE, No. 51 Arby’s Steak Nuggets Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It was a long day and definitely hard fought. We were hopefully gonna get a chance to throw tires on it, but unfortunately the 54 came down off the wall and came down and collected us in a bad wreck. It’s a really disappointing day. We had a decent No. 51 Arby’s Steak Nuggets Ford Mustang today. I wish we could have gotten to the end to see where we would have shaken out, but I’m looking forward to getting to Talladega next weekend and hopefully end up in Victory Lane.”

AARON STANFIELD TAKES ELITE MOTORSPORTS TO FINAL ROUND AT TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 12, 2025) – Aaron Stanfield and the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / Janac Brothers Racing Pro Stock team made their second final round appearance of the season Sunday at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex.

Stanfield, who remains fourth in points but cut his deficit from third to just five, took on points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round. Stanfield and the JHG / Melling machine had the starting line advantage and the race stayed close until the end with Glenn taking the victory by only .007-seconds. Stanfield ran 6.622-seconds at 208.75 mph with a .024 reaction time while Glenn was .034 on the starting line but pulled off the win with a 6.605 pass at 208.89.

“Overall, a good day. Coming in No. 12, to get to the finals, these Elite boys really hustled. The whole pit was working hard. Obviously disappointed with the final result but two races left and points and a half in Pomona, a runner-up finish keeps us in the conversation for a top three finish for the time being,” Stanfield said. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, that’s for sure but I have all the confidence in this team. I wouldn’t want to be out here racing with anyone but this group at Elite.”

Stanfield entered raceday from the No. 12 qualifying position and had to battle teammate and six-time world champion Erica Enders in the first round. Stanfield got his JHG / Melling machine off the starting line in .013-seconds and rallied to a 6.567-second pass at 209.13 mph, enough for a holeshot win over Enders in her JHG / Melling / SCAG Power Equipment hot rod who had a .028 reaction time with a stout 6.555 pass at 208.91.

In the second round, Stanfield faced off with No. 3 in points, Matt Hartford. Hartford handed Stanfield the victory on the starting line when he flickered the bottom bulb and went red by -.064 seconds. Stanfield had a clean 6.603-second run at 208.89 mph setting him up with a semifinal matchup against rival and six-time reigning world champion Greg Anderson. Stanfield and the JHG / Melling team had the better car in their seventh semifinal appearance of the season. Their 6.614-second pass at 208.77 was enough to outrun Anderson’s 6.632 at 207.70.

Jeg Coughlin Jr., the 2024 event winner, took the SCAG Power Equipment / Outlaw Light Beer machine to a semifinal finish, their second of the season. The No. 10 qualifier, Jeg Jr. took down Matt Latino (6.578 at 209.06 def. 6.596 at 208.25) and then Cory Reed on a holeshot (0.046 reaction time, 6.602 at 208.74 def. 0.099 reaction time, 6.565 at 208.36) before coming up short to Glenn. The SCAG machine had the starting line advantage but shook the tires and Jeg Jr. had to push the clutch in to coast to a 11.520-second pass at 92.02 mph while Glenn shook but was able to drive through it for a 6.632 pass at 207.70 for the win.

The Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series continues with the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 31 to November 2, the fifth of six races in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.

PROCK, KALITTA, GLENN & GADSON WIN PLAYOFF RACE AT TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS

  • Prock gets first Dallas FC win
  • Kalitta rolls to Dallas TF victory
  • Glenn notches 20th career PS win
  • Gadson extends PSM lead with victory

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 12, 2025) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock rolled to his ninth win of the season on Sunday at Texas Motorplex for John Force Racing, defeating Ron Capps in the final round of the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 18th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, as all four points leaders celebrated victories at the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock went 3.959-seconds at 328.30 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, powering past Capps’ run of 4.405 at 199.80 to move a step closer to his second straight world championship. It’s Prock’s ninth win of the season and the 21st in his career, as well as his first career victory at the famed Texas Motorplex.

Prock, who qualified No. 1, defeated Blake Alexander, Spencer Hyde and Chad Green to reach the final before putting together a dominant performance in the final round. After starting the weekend just 20 points ahead of Matt Hagan, who fell in the first round, Prock had a remarkable answer in Dallas, making the quickest run in every round of eliminations and the last three rounds of qualifying. His points lead now stands at 112 points over Hagan with two races remaining.

“We went out there and won and all of the cards fell right today, and we were able to extend our points leads, so that definitely feels really good,” Prock said. “You always want to extend your points lead even if it’s by one point, but we did a lot more than that. I said earlier this weekend that whoever gets the most wins in these next three races is going to be crowned the world champion, and we knocked one off, so got two more to go. I have all the faith in the world in this team and this race car, and I’m going to go up there and try and do my job.

“After Q1, we were low E.T. every time we went down the track, and not just by a little bit. That’s an OG Jimmy Prock move right there. I’m just really proud to drive this race car for Cornwell Tools, so now we need to keep turning on win lights and bringing home race wins.”

Capps reached the finals for the fifth time in 2025 after defeating Alex Laughlin, Cruz Pedregon and Dan Wilkerson. Jack Beckman is 131 points back in third.

Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta continued a spectacular run in the Countdown to the Championship, advancing to his fourth straight final and winning a second straight race after a run of 3.777 at 333.04 in his 12,000-horsepower Mobil DELVAC 100th Anniversary dragster to take down Texan Steve Torrence.

Kalitta has advanced to the final in every playoff race thus far and now has four wins this season and 59 in his career – as well as a 141-point lead over Justin Ashley with two races remaining.

On a hot day at Texas Motorplex, Kalitta and his team were locked in, as he went in the 3.70s three different times, picking up round wins against Jasmine Salinas, Ida Zetterstrom and teammate Shawn Langdon in a crucial semifinal matchup.

Kalitta won that round with a run of 3.805 at 332.59 and then powered past Torrence in the final round en route to his third career victory at Texas Motorplex. On the verge of a second career world championship, Kalitta was thrilled with his team’s performance on Sunday and eager to keep pushing ahead.

“Alan [Johnson, crew chief] and my guys, they really have a handle on this thing and it’s fun to drive, so I’m just trying to do my best,” Kalitta said. “It’s really impressive with the temperature swing with what we had today, and to be able to run that [3.]77 in the final. I’ve watched Alan a lot of years and I’m real thankful to be driving the car that he’s tuning, that’s for sure.

“I’ve finished second six or seven times a lot, so I’m definitely not going to count my chickens until they’re hatched, but this is definitely where we want to be. We’re just trying to get as many points as possible and stay ahead of whoever ends up in second. You’ve got to keep your head down and stay focused and just take one qualifying run at a time or whatever it takes. It’s all important.”

Torrence reached the final round for the second time in 2025 and the 92nd time in his career after defeating Josh Hart, Shawn Reed and Brittany Force. Langdon trails Kalitta by 159 points.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn moved a step closer to a first world championship, driving past Aaron Stanfield in the finals with a run of 6.605 at 208.89 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. It handed Glenn his seventh win this season in what has become an incredible year and gave the young standout his 20th career victory. The win, also his first at Texas Motorplex, gives Glenn a 60-point advantage over KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, who lost in the semifinals to Stanfield.

Glenn took advantage in a major way, chasing down Stanfield to pick up the victory. Earlier in the day, Glenn defeated Cody Coughlin, Eric Latino and defending event winner Jeg Coughlin Jr., setting up the marquee matchup with Stanfield. Glenn has now won three of the four races in the playoffs, putting him in the driver’s seat in the championship hunt with two events remaining.

“I just need to keep turning on win lights,” Glenn said. “I just need to go up there and just take everything one round at a time and do everything I can and let the crew chiefs do their job.

“I feel like I’m good and consistent, but don’t feel like I’m as good as I should be or was last year. But I think the car has definitely come around a little bit better. We’ve got a little bit better handle on I’ve got some more experience, and I feel a little bit more relaxed this year. If I can continue to do that, continue to turn on win lights, continue to have a little bit of luck on my side, I think we can wrap it up.”

Stanfield reached the finals for the second time this season and the 27th time in his career thanks to round wins against Erica Enders, Matt Hartford and Anderson.

It was nearly a picture-perfect weekend for Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Richard Gadson, who extended his points lead by defeating rookie Brayden Davis in the final round with a run of 6.796 at 200.37 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. It handed Gadson his fourth victory in what has been a dream season for the second-year rider, as he also extended his points lead to 72 points over Gaige Herrera.

Gadson, who qualified No. 1, was in command all weekend at Texas Motorplex, defeating Lance Bonham, Clayton Howey and Matt Smith en route to the final round. When Davis beat a red-lighting Herrera in the semifinals, it opened the door for Gadson to extend his points lead and he did just that, unleashing an .011 reaction time and rolling to his first career Dallas win.

It’s Gadson’s second win in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, as Gadson has turned into a standout performer in pressure situations.

“You watch this happen for other people and you want it for yourself, but I try to live in the moment. I try to remember: This is the stuff you watched Gaige [Herrera] do, stuff you watched Andrew [Hines] and Eddie [Krawiec] do, and you’re doing it right now,” Gadson said. “I just try to be present mentally in that moment and just say you’re living that dream.

“I woke up this morning and I looked at the ladder and said, ‘It’s going to be a long day’ because I know everybody’s tough right now. I’m just trying to keep my foot on the gas and hold on for their life. I’m extremely motivated right now. I feel like I have something to prove.”

Davis advanced to his third final round in his debut season thanks to victories against Ryan Oehler, John Hall and Herrera.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 30-Nov. 2 with the 25th annual Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.


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ENNIS, Texas — Final finish order (1-16) at the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

  1. Doug Kalitta; 2. Steve Torrence; 3. Shawn Langdon; 4. Brittany Force; 5. Ida Zetterstrom; 6. Justin Ashley; 7. Shawn Reed; 8. Clay Millican; 9. Tony Stewart; 10. Josh Hart; 11. Doug Foley; 12. Antron Brown; 13. Tony Schumacher; 14. Jasmine Salinas; 15. Mitch King; 16. Kyle Satenstein.

FUNNY CAR:

  1. Austin Prock; 2. Ron Capps; 3. Daniel Wilkerson; 4. Chad Green; 5. Jack Beckman; 6. Cruz Pedregon; 7. Spencer Hyde; 8. Paul Lee; 9. Matt Hagan; 10. Alexis DeJoria; 11. Blake Alexander; 12. Dave Richards; 13. Bob Tasca III; 14. Alex Laughlin; 15. Terry Haddock; 16. J.R. Todd.

PRO STOCK:

  1. Dallas Glenn; 2. Aaron Stanfield; 3. Greg Anderson; 4. Jeg Coughlin; 5. Cory Reed; 6. Deric Kramer; 7. Eric Latino; 8. Matt Hartford; 9. Erica Enders; 10. Cody Coughlin; 11. David Cuadra; 12. Matt Latino; 13. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 14. Chris Vang; 15. Stephen Bell; 16. Greg Stanfield.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

  1. Richard Gadson; 2. Brayden Davis; 3. Gaige Herrera; 4. Matt Smith; 5. John Hall; 6. Angie Smith; 7. Clayton Howey; 8. Steve Johnson; 9. Kelly Clontz; 10. Jianna Evaristo; 11. Ryan Oehler; 12. Chase Van Sant; 13. Marc Ingwersen; 14. Lance Bonham; 15. Chris Bostick; 16. Charles Poskey.

ENNIS, Texas — Sunday’s final results from the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Doug Kalitta, 3.777 seconds, 333.04 mph def. Steve Torrence, 3.874 seconds, 317.46 mph.

Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.959, 328.30 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.405, 199.80.

Pro Stock — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.605, 208.89 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.622, 208.75.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.796, 200.37 def. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.817, 200.34.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Joey Severance, 5.470, 208.03 def. Jon Bradford, Foul – Red Light.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.528, 267.36 def. Stan Sipos, Camaro, 5.893, 250.70.

Competition Eliminator — Jeff Taylor, Dragster, 7.049, 152.28 def. Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 9.612, 148.28.

Super Stock — Darrell Stobbe, Chevy Chevelle, 10.260, 126.75 def. Harvey Emmons III, Chevy Cavalier, 9.496, 124.70.

Stock Eliminator — Jerry Emmons, Chevy Camaro, 10.513, 117.67 def. Doug Lambeck, Camaro, 10.148, 126.88.

Super Comp — Wayne Landry, Dragster, 8.913, 178.46 def. Thomas Marlow, Dragster, 8.975, 162.78.

Super Gas — Trisha Owens, Chevy Corvette, 9.919, 157.45 def. Bill Dennis, Cadillac XLR, 9.914, 162.33.

Super Street — James Gonzales, Chevy Vega Wagon, 10.921, 121.62 def. Jimmy Denham, Chevy S-10, 10.893, 126.90.

Top Sportsman — Doug Crumlich, Chevy Corvette, 6.639, 193.05 def. Bradley Johnson, Cobalt, 6.641, 212.37.

Top Dragster — Blake Peavler, Dragster, 6.206, 230.26 def. Michael Kile, Dragster, 6.145, 208.57.

Factory X — Lenny Lottig, Chevy Camaro, 6.973, 196.18 def. Conner Statler, Camaro, 7.005, 197.51.

Junior Dragster Shootout — Clay Burrell, 12.126, 53.64 def. Abigail Wilson, McIlivan, 7.977, 82.43.

ENNIS, Texas — Final round-by-round results from the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Clay Millican, 3.700, 335.32 def. Tony Stewart, 3.774, 321.52; Brittany Force, 3.729, 340.14 def. Tony Schumacher, 5.441, 125.47; Shawn Reed, 3.717, 338.83 def. Kyle Satenstein, Foul – Centerline; Justin Ashley, 3.732, 334.25 def. Doug Foley, 4.857, 160.19; Shawn Langdon, 3.697, 336.00 def. Mitch King, 10.680, 79.99; Ida Zetterstrom, 4.257, 206.86 def. Antron Brown, 5.127, 158.61; Doug Kalitta, 3.751, 333.93 def. Jasmine Salinas, 6.219, 99.89; Steve Torrence, 3.993, 264.07 def. Josh Hart, 4.194, 208.21;

QUARTERFINALS — Kalitta, 3.757, 332.37 def. Zetterstrom, 3.845, 323.37; Torrence, 3.833, 330.37 def. Reed, 4.076, 257.84; Force, 3.828, 332.79 def. Ashley, 3.943, 292.85; Langdon, 3.790, 333.38 def. Millican, 4.385, 187.38;

SEMIFINALS — Torrence, 3.836, 328.08 def. Force, Broke; Kalitta, 3.805, 332.59 def. Langdon, 4.545, 193.10;

FINAL — Kalitta, 3.777, 333.04 def. Torrence, 3.874, 317.46.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 4.032, 311.48 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 5.380, 132.52; Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.911, 330.57 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.046, 318.72; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.224, 227.28 def. Alex Laughlin, Dodge Charger, 4.580, 193.52; Austin Prock, Camaro, 3.867, 335.70 def. Blake Alexander, Charger, 4.030, 319.24; Paul Lee, Charger, 3.908, 331.25 def. Matt

Hagan, Charger, 3.934, 330.35; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.924, 329.28 def. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.958, 329.60; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.034, 315.44 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, Broke; Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.291, 244.21 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.466, 205.33;

QUARTERFINALS — Wilkerson, 3.944, 327.46 def. Beckman, 3.993, 323.14; Prock, 3.939, 329.48 def. Hyde, 5.241, 150.66; Green, 4.082, 296.38 def. Lee, 6.777, 93.93; Capps, 4.042, 314.97 def. Pedregon, 4.994, 159.98;

SEMIFINALS — Capps, 4.019, 315.81 def. Wilkerson, 3.983, 325.73; Prock, 3.963, 328.88 def. Green, 4.068, 308.09;

FINAL — Prock, 3.959, 328.30 def. Capps, 4.405, 199.80.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Deric Kramer, Chevy Camaro, 6.564, 209.23 def. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.601, 208.22; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.578, 209.06 def. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.596, 208.25; Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.559, 209.23 def. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.636, 210.03; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.554, 208.51 def. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.602, 209.33; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.537, 208.97 def. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.571, 208.29; Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.534, 208.65 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.598, 209.34; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.532, 208.20 def. David Cuadra, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.568, 209.13 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.556, 208.91;

QUARTERFINALS — A. Stanfield, 6.603, 208.89 def. Hartford, Foul – Red Light; Glenn, 6.574, 208.66 def. E. Latino, 6.601, 209.38; J. Coughlin, 6.602, 208.74 def. Reed, 6.565, 208.36; Anderson, 6.547, 208.73 def. Kramer, 6.585, 209.31;

SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.627, 208.70 def. J. Coughlin, 11.520, 92.02; A. Stanfield, 6.614, 208.77 def. Anderson, 6.632, 207.70;

FINAL — Glenn, 6.605, 208.89 def. A. Stanfield, 6.622, 208.75.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.863, 197.38 def. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.881, 198.11; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.803, 200.70 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.804, 197.32 def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.899, 194.66; John Hall, 6.819, 199.42 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.801, 201.25 def. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.855, 200.11; Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.790, 201.15 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.863, 197.79; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.749, 202.52 def. Charles Poskey, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.750, 202.00 def.

Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.306, 177.15;

QUARTERFINALS — M. Smith, 6.888, 198.37 def. A. Smith, 6.889, 197.98; Davis, 6.816, 199.25 def. Hall, 6.867, 198.28; Gadson, 6.817, 199.00 def. Howey, 6.947, 197.26; Herrera, 6.780, 200.95 def. Johnson, Broke – No Show;

SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.813, 198.62 def. M. Smith, 6.873, 198.03; Davis, 6.831, 199.72 def. Herrera, Foul – Red Light;

FINAL — Gadson, 6.796, 200.37 def. Davis, 6.817, 200.34.

ENNIS, Texas — Point standings (top 10) following the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

  1. Doug Kalitta, 2,525; 2. Justin Ashley, 2,384; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,366; 4. Steve Torrence, 2,297; 5. Brittany Force, 2,291; 6. Tony Stewart, 2,289; 7. Clay Millican, 2,279; 8. Shawn Reed, 2,255; 9. Antron Brown, 2,242; 10. Josh Hart, 2,152.

Funny Car

  1. Austin Prock, 2,485; 2. Matt Hagan, 2,373; 3. Jack Beckman, 2,354; 4. Ron Capps, 2,336; 5. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,296; 6. Paul Lee, 2,257; 7. Cruz Pedregon, 2,252; 8. Chad Green, 2,236; 9. Spencer Hyde, 2,217; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 2,195.

Pro Stock

  1. Dallas Glenn, 2,548; 2. Greg Anderson, 2,488; 3. Matt Hartford, 2,323; 4. Aaron Stanfield, 2,318; 5. Cory Reed, 2,275; 6. Eric Latino, 2,250; 7. Erica Enders, 2,243; 8. Cody Coughlin, 2,221; 9. Jeg Coughlin, 2,203; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,145.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

  1. Richard Gadson, 2,507; 2. Gaige Herrera, 2,435; 3. Matt Smith, 2,402; 4. Brayden Davis, 2,321; 5. John Hall, 2,319; 6. Angie Smith, 2,318; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,241; 8. Chase Van Sant, 2,211; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,173; 10. Chris Bostick, 2,148.

KALITTA EXTENDS POINTS LEAD WITH TEXAS FALL NATIONALS VICTORY

Earns fourth win of 2025 and 59th of his career 

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 12, 2025) – Doug Kalitta extended his Top Fuel points lead by winning the Texas Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex on Sunday, his fourth of the season, second consecutive, and 59th of his career. The win puts Kalitta 141 points ahead with just two races remaining as he inches closer to a second career world championship. The win by Kalitta is also the 10th Top Fuel win in the last 11 races for Toyota, who extended its consecutive final rounds made streak across Top Fuel or Funny Car to 15 on Sunday. 

Kalitta had to defeat Toyota teammate and Texas native Steve Torrence, who made his final start of the 2025 season this weekend. The result was Torrence’s second final round of 2025. Shawn Langdon (semifinals) and Justin Ashley (second round) were the other Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters to advance out of round one in Top Fuel on Sunday.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps made the final round and was within reach of his second race victory this season after having to switch to a backup GR Supra body after round one. The fifth final round of 2025 by Capps today keeps him fourth in the Funny Car points standings heading to Las Vegas. 

The NHRA Countdown to the Championship continues at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with eliminations on Sunday, November 2.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series 
Texas Motorplex
NHRA Texas Fall Nationals
Race 18 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS  

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Doug KalittaMobil Delvac Toyota Top Fuel DragsterWinnerW (3.751) v. J. Salinas (6.219) W (3.757) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.845) W (3.805) v. S. Langdon (4.545) W (3.777) v. S. Torrence (3.874)
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRunner-UpW (3.993) v. J. Hart (4.194) W (3.833) v. S. Reed (4.076) W (3.836) v. B. Force (No Time) L (3.847) v. D. Kalitta (3.777)
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-finalsW (3.697) v. M. King (10.680) W (3.790) v. C. Millican (4.385) L (4.545) v. D. Kalitta (3.805)
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (3.732) v. D. Foley (4.857) L (3.943) v. B. Force (3.828)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (5.127) v. I. Zetterstrom (4.257)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS  

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny CarRunner-UpW (4.224) v. A. Laughlin (4.580) W (4.042) v. C. Pedregon (4.994) W (4.019 – holeshot) v. D. Wilkerson (3.983) L (4.405) v. A. Prock (3.959)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car First RoundL (No Time) v. C. Pedregon (4.034)

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mobil Delvac Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

How important is this victory in your quest for another championship?

“Yeah, we’re trying to go rounds and stay ahead of these guys! Everybody’s hungry right now. Hats off to Toyota, Mac Tools, Mobil 1, Revchem, Kalitta Air, everybody that supports us. A huge relief to get this win here in Ennis. Really big deal for us.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Final Result: Runner-Up

An eventful day. How would you assess the day, weekend and what’s your outlook heading into Las Vegas?

“Just one of those gut check days for the NAPA Auto Care Toyota guys. It was driver error in the first round, but we got by. Unfortunately, damaged the NAPA Toyota GR Supra Funny Car body – not badly, as it’s fixable, but we couldn’t run it second round. We brought out the Carlyle Tools body which we’re going to run in Las Vegas and we were hoping to get a win there. It was cool that a lot of fans have bought our Carlyle shirts and, I guess the positive thing is, they got to see the Carlyle car in-person make the final round today. Strange in the final. Prock poked his nose out there, but the car felt like it was running well. We came in, wanting to make up ground in the points and we had to, and that’s exactly what we did. So proud of our NAPA Toyota team and let’s see if we can keep this momentum going into Las Vegas.”

About Toyota 

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

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 32 electrified options.

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

Tony Stewart & Matt Hagan Dallas Event Recap for the Texas NHRA FallNationals

Tony Stewart & Matt Hagan
Top Fuel | Funny Car
Texas NHRA FallNationals
Oct. 10-12 | Dallas

Event Recap

Tony Stewart, driver of the Mobil 1 Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster:

  • Earned No. 4 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.817 ET – there was a timing malfunction with the mph)
  • Fell to No. 8 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (3.724 ET at 331.86 mph)
  • Maintained No. 8 provisional qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q2 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Stewart ran a 3.936 ET at 250.42 mph.
  • Secured No. 8 qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q2 run. In Q4 on Saturday, Stewart ran a 4.478 ET at 177.18 mph.
  • Eliminated following Round 1 on Sunday:
  • Round 1: 3.774 ET at 321.52 mph, lost to Clay Millican (3.700 ET at 335.32 mph)
  • Currently sixth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 236 points behind leader Doug Kalitta

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

  • Earned No. 4 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.970 ET at 325.36 mph)
  • Fell to No. 12 provisional qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q1 run. In Q2 on Friday, Hagan ran a 4.086 ET at 269.64 mph.
  • Maintained No. 12 qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q1 run. In Q3 on Saturday, Hagan ran a 4.565 ET at 184.87 mph.
  • Secured No. 12 qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q1 run. In Q4 on Saturday, Hagan ran a 4.017 ET at 300.16 mph.
  • Eliminated following Round 1 on Sunday:
  • Round 1: 3.934 ET at 330.35 mph, lost to Paul Lee (3.908 ET at 331.25 mph)
  • Currently second in the Funny Car championship standings, 112 points behind leader Austin Prock

Notes of Interest

Despite losing in Round 1, Hagan earned back-to-back wins at the Texas NHRA FallNationals in 2023 and 2024. He has recorded five career wins at the Texas NHRA FallNationals, which came in 2010, 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2024. He has gone to the final round the last six years heading into Sunday’s FallNationals and has appeared in more final rounds in Dallas than in any other event in the series (nine times in 17 appearances). Augmenting his five wins are four runner-ups (2012, 2020, 2021 and 2022).
In 2023, Hagan won TSR’s first and only double-up victory thus far with Leah Pruett in Top Fuel.
Ahead of the Texas NHRA FallNationals, Stewart participated in his 15th “Smoke Show” event. For the past 14 years, the event took place at Texas Motor Speedway. This year’s event featured the inaugural bowling tournament. The event benefitted Speedway Children’s Charities. Since 1997, Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway has distributed more than $12.4 million in funding to non-profit organizations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties supporting children in need.

Tony Stewart, Driver of the Mobil 1 Dodge//SRT Top Fuel Dragster

“This wasn’t the weekend we were looking for at the FallNationals. We were able to qualify the Mobil 1 machine in the top-half of the field during Friday’s night session. We knew Clay (Millican) was going to be a tough opponent in round one today. We just didn’t have enough for him. We have two races left to try and capitalize on points and try to bring home a couple more wins.”

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

“This was a really challenging weekend and obviously not what we set out to do losing first round. It all started with Friday night when we missed it because we had a big explosion in the first session. It wasn’t a tune-up issue or parts being put on wrong, but just a parts failure. It’s hard to swallow when we keep having part failures from manufacturers, but it’s the hand we’re dealt. In the second session on Friday night, we had all new parts on the car. It was an unrealistic challenge to think we could go up there and row low (ET). We had cylinders out and had to shut the car off, so we didn’t qualify well. On Saturday in the heat of the day, we were making half-track pulls because we’re out of parts and pieces. We don’t have any more blowers, so we were trying to salvage the two we have to get through race day. That’s challenging because you’re going up there at kind of half-go. We’ve blown up six times this year. We had a close drag race today against Paul (Lee). We did the best we could in the right lane. I got him a little on the tree, but he had more for the racetrack. That’s how it goes sometimes and I’m not mad. I know it’s easy for my guys put their heads down, but we have two races to go. No matter how the points hunt shakes out, we can still win two more races, so that’s what we’re focused on.”

Next Up
The next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA Nevada Nationals Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is the fifth event in the Countdown to the Championship and the second-to-last race of the season.

Repeat IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Titles for Winward Racing and Mercedes-AMG

BRASELTON, Georgia – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team Winward Racing clinched repeat IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) championships on the first lap of Saturday’s Motul Petit Le Mans and then spent the next 10 hours wrapping up encore championship honors for Mercedes-AMG. The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team, full-season co-drivers Russell Ward and Philip Ellis and Mercedes-AMG won the IMSA WeatherTech GTD team, driver and manufacturer titles for the second-straight year.

Bringing a class-leading three GTD wins and season-high championship leads to the Motul Petit Le Mans IMSA WeatherTech finale, Winward improved its points position even more in Friday afternoon qualifying. Ellis, who seldom qualifies in GTD races, was chosen to drive the No. 57 in the quick 15-minute session and delivered.

Clocking in fifth fastest in the 19-car GTD field, Ellis outqualified some of Winward’s nearest challengers to further build its championship leads. The end result was that the No. 57 squad and drivers needed to only finish 18th or higher, out of the 19-car GTD class, in order to claim the back-to-back class championships in Saturday’s race.

Winward could seal the championships with the first retirement of a GTD car in the race, and that and more happened just seconds into the 10-hour Petit Le Mans finale. A multi-car accident in the quick MRRA esses on the first lap of the race led to the immediate retirement of two GTD cars and the ultimate demise of four class competitors in total.

The repeat titles for Winward were sealed before an official green flag lap in the race was completed. Then the No. 57 team and drivers settled in on delivering Mercedes-AMG its second-straight GTD manufacturer championship.

Joined by the team’s longtime endurance race driver Indy Dontje, Ellis, Ward and the Winward team battled hard throughout the 10-hour race to secure the repeat GTD manufacturer crown for Mercedes-AMG.

Once again fully understanding the mission at hand, Winward and its drivers focused on staying on the lead lap and steering clear of trouble in a race that had several multi-car contact incidents. The Winward No. 57 only led the GTD field twice in the 10 hours for just three laps, which was more about tracking and staying in touch with their manufacturer championship rivals rather than battling for the race win.

With Ward competitively completing his driving time in the first parts of the race, Dontje and Ellis drove the final stints in the race’s closing hours. The team settled into top-five contention, which was enough to wrap up the manufacturer honors, and Ellis took the checkered flag in fifth for the second race in a row.

In the end, the Ward and Ellis sealed their championships 189 points ahead of their nearest challenger, 3,103 – 2,908. The team title margin was 205 points ahead of the runner-up, 3,103 – 2,898. Mercedes-AMG took its second-straight championship by 39 points, 3,363 – 3,324.

The successful Mercedes-AMG title defense was competitively supported by IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD contenders Lone Star Racing. Debuting team driver Lin Hodenius qualified the No. 80 Lone Star Racing, which he co-drives with Scott Andrews and Wyatt Brichacek, to a Mercedes-AMG brand-best third in GTD last month at Indianapolis.

Lone Star’s Indianapolis qualifying performance gave Mercedes-AMG 30 valuable points that were needed to seal the manufacturer crown Saturday for the second-straight year.

Ward, Ellis and Winward are the first drivers to secure consecutive GTD championships since Mario Farnbacher, who has race-winning Mercedes-AMG GT3 experience, and his team co-drove to the class driver and team championships in 2019 and 2020.

This year’s repeat-championship season saw Winward and its drivers take a points lead they would never lose with their first win in the second race of the year at the 12 Hours of Sebring. Win number two followed two races later at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca where Winward left with then season-high GTD championship leads of 124 points.

A major challenge emerged, however, in the mid-season Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen where Winward rallied after getting caught up in an early contact incident to make it to the checkered flag. The Glen setback still cost Winward more than half of its championship lead, but the No. 57 Winward team and drivers fought to rebuild the margin starting at the very next race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a runner-up finish.

From there, Winward never failed to rebuild its points lead in every remaining round of the season. The points haul included the team’s third win of the year at VIRginia International Raceway and fifth in the Battle on the Bricks 6 Hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last month, the two lead-in races to Petit Le Mans.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing in IMSA is tonight’s IMSA WeatherTech Night of Champions Awards Celebration at Château Élan Winery & Resort. There Winward Racing and Mercedes-AMG will formally accept their 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season honors and awards.

Christoph Sagemüller – Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport: “North American motorsport is a very important platform for us as a global brand. We are therefore delighted that we were able to defend the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles despite the strong competition. These successes in the IMSA strengthen the visibility of our products. Thank you to our Customer Racing Teams and drivers, who have represented Mercedes-AMG with outstanding performances.”

Stefan Wendl – Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing:

“Congratulations to Winward Racing, Philip and Russell on their well-deserved title defense. They were not only flawless in Saturday’s race, but competitive and capable of winning throughout the entire season with the Mercedes-AMG GT3. This underlines the intensive and successful work we have done in integrating the new torque sensors. Accordingly, we are very proud of the results and successes achieved this season.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s easier to get to the top than it is to stay there. This season had many tough races with strong competition, but we achieved goals and helped defend the manufacturer title for Mercedes-AMG. We would have loved to win the Michelin Endurance Cup as well, but with three championships, we are of course more than happy. This is really about our unsung heroes of racing. These are our team guys who are working until at least 9 o’clock every night working on the car, making it perfect and getting everything 100 percent. We have the same group as last year, and we are going to have the same group again next year. We are going to be a force again next year. The crew always provides such an amazing piece of equipment for us to drive, and as long as we don’t put a foot wrong, it tends to come our way.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Defending the title is definitely one of the greatest achievements of my career. Winning the championship is great but repeating it is indescribable, especially because some of the parameters were new to us this season due to the new regulations. There is always something that can go wrong in a race, so it was nice to get it done early, but then we had the manufacturer title to fight for. So that is what we raced for, and it was great we got that as well for Mercedes-AMG. It would have been nice to finish on the podium, but it is still our best finish to date in Atlanta. That’s something to work on for next year. Thank you to the team that did a great job throughout. We will work hard and aim for the third championships.”

Indy Dontje, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s really special to help these guys win their second championship. There was some pressure, but Winward Racing gave us a great car, the team made great pit stops and my teammates also did a fantastic job. We didn’t quite make it to the front in the race, but fifth place is our best result on this track so far. In the end, it almost felt like an easy job for the championships. We made it stick, and it was really nice to be part of it. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 felt very good throughout the entire season. When I participated, we were always able to compete for top positions. I am delighted for Winward Racing and my teammates.”

RCR NXS Race Recap: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Stage 2 Win and Sixth-Place Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Propel Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Ahead of Playoffs Cutline

Finish: 6th
Start: 6th
Points: 3rd

“I did a lot of things really, really good and I also did a lot of things really, really bad tonight. I’m not too upset about it, because I know that there are things that I can control, and I will come back next time and not make those mistakes again. I’m going to have to go back and look at it, but it’s very frustrating to come here, put in so much effort, your whole career, and obviously the whole year, have a shot to win, and let my guys down. But at the same time, as much as it sucks, and as much as it is a dagger to the heart, I know that it’s things that I can control and there is beauty to that. Our Whelen Chevrolet team will keep the focus and execute the next two weeks to earn our spot in the Champ 4.” – -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Team Overcome Damage to Earn Strong Top-10 Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 10th
Start: 12th
Points: 11th

“Man, I wish we didn’t have damage to the front and rear of our Global Industrial Chevrolet, because before that restart accordion happened, our car was really good. During Stage 1, we were able to drive forward and gain a good amount of track position. There were a couple restarts where the field checked up and I didn’t realize how much it affected our car until after the race. Once we had the damage, the car was very unpredictable. It was easy to get loose, and then it would get tight. Overall, I’m proud that we were still able to get a top-10 finish and we will keep working these final three weeks.” -Austin Hill

CORVETTE RACING AT PETIT LE MANS: Titles and Podiums!

GTD PRO championships and podiums plus Akin Award for AWA in IMSA finale

BRASELTON, Ga. (October 11, 2025) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports capped an incredible day at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with a pair of podium finishes to go along with a GTD PRO championship sweep at the 10-hour Petit Le Mans on Saturday.

Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone placed second in class with their No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, just ahead of the GTD PRO Drivers Championship pairing of Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims plus Daniel Juncadella in the No. 3 Corvette.

It marked the first double-podium for the Pratt Miller Corvette squad since 2008. The result didn’t just secure the class Drivers Championship but also the Manufacturers Championship for Chevrolet and the Teams’ title for the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports group.

The No. 4 Corvette raced back into contention following an early-race bad break when Catsburg had to stop for a splash of fuel when the pits were closed under a full-course yellow. He stopped a couple of laps later still under yellow and handed off to Milner, who stopped again a lap later behind the safety car for a top-off and what the team hoped would be a fuel advantage later in the race.

It came to fruition after Milner’s stint as Varrone cycled through to the lead during a long green-flag run past the halfway point. More caution-free laps helped the No. 4 Corvette’s cause as Catsburg drove the final two hours to the finish.

On the No. 3 Corvette side, the focus was to finish ahead of the No. 81 Ferrari – the closest competitor for the class championship. Garcia began eighth but couldn’t gain much ground on the No. 81 given nearly 30 minutes of full-course yellow in the race.

Garcia drove the first three hours and handed over to Sims with the Corvette in the top-five but still behind the Ferrari. That changed just after the four-hour mark when the No. 3 Corvette team got Sims in and out of the pitlane quicker than their championship rivals. The two cars ran close together for the next two-and-a-half hours before the Corvette moved ahead for good with three hours to go.

In GTD, AWA celebrated winning both the season-long Bob Akin Award and taking the race’s Akin trophy with the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R as the highest-finishing GTD car with a Bronze-rated driver. Orey Fidani, who teamed with Matt Bell and Lars Kern, won his second straight Akin championship and a return trip to next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The trio finished ninth in class after starting 19th to cap a season that began with a class victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

DXDT Racing’s trio of Charlie Eastwood, Alec Udell and Salih Yoluc likewise raced through the field to finish seventh in GTD. Their No. 36 Corvette began 17th but Yoluc drove a triple-stint at the front – same as Fidani – to open up the strategy options. Udell and Eastwood split the mid-race driving before Eastwood went to the end and wrapped up the team’s first season in IMSA.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This was really tight. I would have liked a more relaxed fight with not around 10 points between us! It was a very tight race. We turned things around between qualifying and now. I knew the car was there since Lap One. We just needed to stay focused and keep getting places. We didn’t have the pace to pass people on track, but we did a fantastic job… saving fuel, doing everything right, gaining positions and taking every opportunity where we could. So six championships! It’s a group effort. That doesn’t happen without Corvette Racing and all the teammates I’ve had over the past 16 years.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s incredibly intense here at Petit Le Mans every single time I do it. But it’s so thrilling. The track is just amazing… such a nice sequence of corners and so many cars means that all the traffic keeps you on your toes. Our Corvette was working well all day and all season. We’ve had a phenomenal year. Pratt Miller has executed a fantastic championship.

We optimized pretty much everything we could every single time. Full credit to the whole team. Amazing to do it with Antonio and Dani. We had a good year last year finishing third in the championship. To go to first place this year is absolutely phenomenal.”

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 3 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is mega. I’ve only been a small part of this season. But it’s nice to play a role in the last race. It’s a big race for everybody. Finishing on the podium and helping these guys clinch a championship was the big goal. It’s been great to be a part of that.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s a great day for Corvette Racing, Pratt Miller and Chevy. It went about as well as it could have for us. I’m super happy for Antonio and Alex, and Dani as well helping with that. Those guys were basically perfect all year long. That’s what it takes in this championship. Congrats to those guys. It’s a whole team effort, though. You look at it and all the 4 car guys celebrate it just as much as the 3 car guys. It’s a great morale booster for everyone. For us, the race today was good. P2 was about as good as it was going to get for us. The BMW had a little too much pace on us. But overall a really great day.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We achieved everything we wanted to achieve. It would have been great to finally have a Petit win but the BMW was one size too big for us today. I had some really cool and clean fights with Dan Harper. I’m very pleased with the job that the team did. We had a cool season. We won everything we wanted as a team. So I’m looking forward to next year already.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 4 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This was a great weekend for everyone. I was really looking forward to coming here and racing again with Corvette. This is like a family for me. Finishing with both cars on the podium is great. We had a great race for P2 and had great pace. Not enough to fight with the BMW, but we executed well and maximized our potential. A big thank you to all the team and all the crew. Our Corvette was really flying. Tommy and Nicky did a great job as always in setting up the car. It was super-fast in the race. Overall this is a great day for Corvette, Chevy and the team. Sure we wanted to win the race but today it wasn’t possible so we’re happy to finish second. Hopefully next year we can finish in a better spot.”

MATT BELL, NO. 13 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Fantastic end of the season for AWA. I’m really proud to be heading back to France. That was our goal coming into this year and this race. It was a shame for the No. 70 that they were taken out of contention the way they were; they’ve been great competitors all season and we have huge respect for each other, and we wanted to go toe to toe all the way to the end. But of course we wanted to go back to France, so I’m super happy about achieving that. It was a really good race and we had really good pace. It was a nice way to finish with the top-10 and now I guess I need to learn a bit of French!”

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I couldn’t be happier or more proud of the way we performed this season. We knew from the get-go that we wanted to go back to Le Mans, and we knew we would have to work incredibly hard to achieve it, but that’s exactly what we set out to do. We all have an immense amount of respect for everyone at Inception Racing, and we had a great time going up against them this season. I’m thrilled that we’re going back to France, and now with some extra knowledge and experience on our side, we’ll be ready to put up a good fight with Chevy.”

LARS KERN, NO. 13 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Winning the Bob Akin Award is a great way to end the season. We worked for this all year. Though it’s not the way we wanted to win it. We always said we wanted to win it on track. I feel really sorry for the No. 70 car and the whole Inception Racing group.

“We went all-in in the race and had a great time. We needed a full-course yellow within the last five hours, but there wasn’t any, which was a testament to the clean racing. It was good racing, but in the end, we were just always running behind the gap. I am really happy for Orey and the team. We are going back to Le Mans, which was the target of the season. We’ll finish on the podium of this race next year!”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Cadillac finishes season with flurry

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R wins Petit Le Mans for second victory in a row

BRASELTON, Ga. (October 11, 2025) — Cadillac Racing successfully defended its Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans as the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R took the checkered flag for the second consecutive race.

Cadillac has recorded five victories in the annual 10-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-ending clash since entering prototype competition in 2017 and scored its 33rd IMSA triumph in that span. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac, campaigned by Action Express Racing, owns two Petit Le Mans wins (2019 in DPi era).

“Congratulations to Cadillac Racing and the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R on their win in the 28th Motul Petit Le Mans. The overall victory showcases the deep capabilities and determination of the Cadillac Racing team,” said John Roth, vice president, Global Cadillac. “Drivers Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti and every single member of the team can be proud of today’s victory. Racing is in our DNA and showcases our innovation while helping us develop future technologies for our cars and customers.”

The No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, with Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Will Stevens sharing driving duties on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta road course, finished sixth.

Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz and Norman Nato combined to drive the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R to eighth place after starting 11th in the 12-car GTP field.

The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was quickest in two daylight practice sessions, earned a front row start, led the most laps led, set the quickest lap of the race and had flawless pit stops, which all combined to secure the hard-fought victory.

Three weeks earlier at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Aitken relieved Bamber and held off multiple challenges while driving the final 82 minutes to register the team’s 30th IMSA victory and Cadillac’s first at the Brickyard. At Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Bamber took over from Aitken with the lead and raced the final 1 hour, 59 minutes under the green flag. He prevailed by 5.182 seconds following a splash of fuel with 13 minutes left.

The result vaulted Aitken to second in the full-season Driver Championship and Action Express Racing to second in the Team Championship.

Additional notables

  • 33rd IMSA victory for Cadillac since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017
  • Sixth IMSA GTP victory for Cadillac (first year 2023)
  • Cadillac’s five Petit Le Mans victories is the most of any manufacturer
  • Cadillac has had at least two victories in each season since 2017
  • Cadillac has scored a podium finish in every race at Road Atlanta since 2017 (including the six- and 10-hour races in 2020)
  • Vesti recorded the quickest lap of the race (1:12.276) on Lap 258
  • Cadillac owns the quickest GTP race lap (1:10.917) set in 2023
  • No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R led the most laps for the second consecutive race
  • The last time the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac won back-to-back races was 2019 (Sebring and Long Beach)
  • The victory was Bamber’s 10th in IMSA competition

The 2026 IMSA season begins January 16-18 with the annual Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway, followed the next weekend by the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The three Cadillac entries will participate in a two-day test in mid-November at the 2.56-mile, 12-turn road course that incorporates sections of the high-banked oval to prep for the fourth season of GTP competition.

What they’re saying

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Ricky Taylor: “Tough day. This weekend we came in with high expectations. The drivers all felt that good and the team executed well all day. We just didn’t have the pace of the lead group. Congratulations to our Cadillac teammates, Whelen and Action Express. Looking forward to the off season, when we can review a year’s worth of data and information. We are going to be on track quite a bit this off season, so looking forward to starting 2026 with a nice booklet of information.”

Filipe Albuquerque: ““Hard race. Hard season. Perhaps more than we expected it to be. In the night, the car came a little bit alive, but I think we may have followed a wrong strategy when we pitted more than the other guys. We gave our best. We learned a lot about the car this year. We improved a lot through the season. There were definitely moments of greatness but then we would get struck with a weekend where we didn’t understand the lack of pace in the car. We need some work to do especially with the new chockers and tires for next year. We have already begun our work for next year. Congratulations to Cadillac Whelen on their win.”

Will Stevens: “We had hoped to finish the season on a high. I think we still battled through and fought ad scored valuable points this weekend, which is important. I think as a whole the team has made good momentum. I think now the focus just needs to be on making improvements. There is a bit of time now before Daytona, so it is just important review the information and to come back stronger for next year.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “The way Earl finished, the way Fred came in and held the lead, it shows the depth that we have in the team that we’re really confident and we all put in great stints today. All did a huge job to hold off the competition and manage the strategy, manage the fuel and the Whelen Cadillac was on fire today. We were able to lead and that was the game plan coming into today — to do it just like at Indy. So, I’m really pleased that we finish the year in such an awesome way and roll into 2026.”

Earl Bamber: “Any one of us could have done it, any stint of the day. It shows the strength of the team. It shows what we set out to do at the beginning of the year with Whelen Cadillac — to build something really special. And I think what we’ve done this season — we could have won a couple more races, came close, were in position — but we’ll definitely take two of the biggest of the season. The guys are fantastic in the pit lane, the cars are amazingly quick at Cadillac, so it makes our job easy on track. I think we’re building up something special here, and now we’re just looking forward to what comes next.”

Frederik Vesti: “Just extremely proud of this team. We joined forces at the beginning of this year, and we didn’t have the easiest start to the championship. But the way we’ve grown together, the way we’ve been working together really shows and we deserve it so much. Winning Indy was big, but now winning Petit — one of the most historical races in the endurance world — that’s incredible. Very proud of everyone.”

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Jordan Taylor: “Not a good day for us. We had some good stints and some bad stints, but, at the end of the day, we did not get a good result which is unfortunate. We learned a lot this year with this car, so hopefully we can have a good off season, test and develop more and come back strong next year.”

Louis Deletraz: “A huge thank you to Cadillac and Wayne Taylor Racing for this year. It has been tough. I do not think there are any other words. We have had a lot of learning with this car. We had a double podium at the Glen which was the highlight of our year. Very excited to take all our learnings and work hard for next year to come and win.”

Norman Nato: “It was a great experience coming back to IMSA after eight years. It was my first and now this time at Petit. It was great to be back. What an incredible race. Obviously, we are a disappointed with the race. We tried our best to the finish line. It was just not enough today unfortunately. It was great to be back in IMSA and to work with Wayne Taylor Racing. I can’t wait to do more. We tried our best today, but it wasn’t enough. We will work to try and come back stronger.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Focused Health 302

No. 11 Benesch Chevrolet

Start: 12th
Stage 1 Finish: 17th
Stage 2 Finish: 17th
Finish: 16th

Daniel Hemric fought an extremely free-handling No. 11 Benesch Chevy, holding on to 17th, until he was able to receive adjustments during the first stage break. Still struggling with the handling during the second stage, Hemric began clicking off top-10 lap times by the end of the segment. Running long into the pit cycle during the final stage, he inherited the lead from teammate Daniel Dye, finally making his scheduled stop on lap 152. He went on to finish 16th.

 ”Definitely not the day we hoped for. Ultimately, we just never could get the balance right, no matter what we did in order to have the pace we needed. I’m thankful to Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice, and everyone at Kaulig Racing for the opportunity to come back and have some fun, despite not having the result we wanted.” – Daniel Hemric

No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet

Start: 18th
Stage 1 Finish: 15th
Stage 2 Finish: 18th
Finish: 17th

While battling a free-handling No. 10 Champion Container Chevy, Daniel Dye managed to gain three spots in the opening stage. He started the second stage from 13th and had a big restart, moving to 10th. Dye fired off much better in Stage 2 but began to build free over the course of the long run. During the final stage, Dye ran long into the pit cycle, inheriting the lead, before making his final, scheduled, green-flag pit stop on lap 148. He went on to finish 17th.

“I felt like today was a decent day. We just didn’t get the result that we were looking for, but I’m extremely proud of the fight that everybody on the No. 10 team had all day. We made the car better and had a really hard-fought race.” – Daniel Dye

No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet

Start: 7th
Stage 1 Finish: 7th
Stage 2 Finish: 7th
Finish: 18th

Happy with how the No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy fired off, Christian Eckes held on to seventh place to end the opening stage. After starting the second stage from ninth, Eckes had a big restart, making it to sixth place. As the sun began to set and track temperatures changed, Eckes radioed that the No. 16 Chevy began to tighten up in turns one and two. Running top-five lap times as Stage 2 wound down, he finished the second segment in seventh. Following a pit-road mishap, Eckes was forced to come back down pit road, before starting the final stage from 31st. He made his way back into the top 20 in just 10 laps, but eventually used up his tires. He was the first of his teammates to make a green-flag pit stop on lap 144 and went on to finish 18th.

“We had a fast No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy; I was happy with where we were after qualifying, and we had a strong first two stages. Unfortunately a mishap on pit road cost us all of our track position to start the final stage. We made up a good bit of ground, but ultimately, we just couldn’t get back to where we were with so much traffic.” – Christian Eckes  

About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.