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Rick Ware Racing: Food City 500 from Bristol

RICK WARE RACING
Food City 500
Date: April 12, 2026
Event: Food City 500 (Round 8 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile concrete oval)
Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 500-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

RWR Finish:

● Cody Ware (Started 36th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 500 of 505 laps)

RWR Points:

● Cody Ware (35th with 64 points)

RWR Notes:

● This was Ware’s milestone 150th career NASCAR Cup Series start, and all have come with RWR.

Race Notes:

● Ty Gibbs won the Food City 500 to score his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. His margin over second-place Ryan Blaney was .055 of a second.

● There were nine caution periods for a total of 72 laps.

● Only 16 of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Tyler Reddick remains the championship leader after Bristol with a 62-point advantage over second-place Blaney.

Sound Bites:

“We fired off pretty disconnected. We weren’t terrible. Our long-run pace was good all day long. We just had to work on getting the car firing off better, and I felt like the team did a really good job, not just throwing random changes at it, but making good adjustments, trying things that we know have worked in the past. We fought all day for 500 laps to try to better our Costa Oil Chevrolet. We did that. Our long-run pace there on that last, long green-flag run was really stout, and what we needed was the race to go green for the last 25 laps but, unfortunately, that’s not how it played out. So, just another weekend where we needed a little bit of luck to go our way, but proud of the team and looking forward to Kansas.” – Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 Costa Oil 10-Minute Oil Change Chevrolet

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the AdventHealth 400 on Sunday, April 19, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevrolet Team Battle to Top-20 Finish in Trying Day at The Last Great Colosseum

Finish: 18th
Start: 24th
Points: 27th

“The Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevrolet team battled today, and we’ll take an 18th-place finish at the end of it. Our Chevrolet was just way too loose for the majority of the day. Crew chief Richard Boswell and the guys kept making adjustments and we made it better in the last stage. We started to lose front turn in the middle of the corner at the end of a run. The top line probably would have been a better choice on the final restart because everybody just parked, but you never know until it happens. Everyone at RCR and ECR will keep working to make our cars better.” -Austin Dillon

Challenging Day for Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Bank OZK Chevrolet Team at Bristol Motor Speedway

Finish: 25th
Start: 29th
Points: 24th

“Not the finish any of us wanted for the No. 8 Bank OZK Chevrolet here this afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway. We battled the rear of the car the entire race, and despite the best efforts of the team, we got a lap down in the third stage and were never able to get back that track position. We’re going to keep putting in the work and hopefully that begins to translate next weekend in Kansas.” -Kyle Busch

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – Blaney’s Runner-Up Bristol Finish Leads Ford

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Food City 500 — Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday, April 12, 2026

Ford Unofficial Finishing Results:

2nd – Ryan Blaney

6th – Todd Gilliland

7th – Joey Logano

8th – Ryan Preece

13th – Chris Buescher

14th – Brad Keselowski

16th – Austin Cindric

19th – Zane Smith

26th – Noah Gragson

32nd – Josh Berry

36th – Chad Finchum

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Before the last yellow I was side-by-side for the lead and I slipped into three and that kind of cost us a shot to get it before that last yellow. I thought I had a good restart, but the bottom was just hard to hit. I didn’t maybe get the best one and two the last lap and didn’t have a far enough position, and then I really got a good three and four coming to the checkered, but it was a little bit too late. I’m disappointed we didn’t win, but, overall, I’m really proud of the effort. I had a great day and got better all day. It’s definitely something to be proud of.” HOW WAS THE FEEL OF THE TIRES? “I thought it laid a lot of rubber down, which was good in the race, which was better than what we thought after practice, for sure. I thought it was good. It clumped the bottom like crazy. The top came in. I thought it was a pretty good tire personally. We’ve got to keep working on the car itself in dirty air, for sure, but I thought the tire was pretty good. It’s weird. I didn’t think it fell off a ton, but it clumped and put a lot of rubber down, so I don’t know what to think about that, but it was fun working through the rubber progression through the day.” ANYTHING ABOUT THE LAST RESTART OR FINAL LAP RACING WITH TY? “I got a good restart. I thought I got a really good restart. I just got done talking about the rubber clumps on the bottom. It was really hard to hit it right and I got a decent first lap. I didn’t get a great one and two the last lap and it didn’t kind of let me be even with Ty. I got a really good three and four the last lap, it just wasn’t quite enough. I’m not gonna throttle up and destroy somebody. I thought I got a pretty good restart, I just wish I would have maybe got a better lap, but it was so hard to do. It was easy to miss and I missed it. Honestly, I look back at where I lost the race was before the last yellow I slipped into three and was up the track when I was side-by-side with Ty and that really hurt us. It was a little too late.” WHAT IS THIS MOMENT LIKE FOR TY? “You never forget your first one, that’s for sure. Even though I’m bummed we didn’t win the race, I’m happy that Ty was able to get his first one because I remember what that was like and I remember the elation and the joy, especially when you’ve come close a handful of times, which he has. Honestly, Ty has dealt with a lot of criticism from the outside, and I feel like he’s handled it pretty well and it’s good to see that he’s been able to prove himself on the racetrack. You never forget that first one. I hope they have a good time.” HOW MUCH DO YOU LOOK BACK ON WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE IN A RACE LIKE THIS? “Yeah, I’ll pick through a little bit, but it was so hard to hit the bottom in three with pace. So many guys missed it all day and messed up. I’ll probably think about that corner more than any, but I don’t know if there’s really anything I could have done differently. I had to commit and I just probably missed my entry by about a foot and you miss the whole bottom and you slide up and it’s a handful. I’ll think about it a little bit tonight and forget about it tomorrow.” PIT ROAD WAS AN ISSUE AGAIN TODAY. “We’ve got to get it better for sure.”

TODD GILLILAND, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We weren’t great to start and that’s kind of how we were in practice, but it seemed like when the groove moved up to the top for us we were way better. It was like a different car It’s a pretty awesome day for us. To recover from qualifying 35th at Bristol is tough to do, so, honestly, I’m just so proud of my team. We’ve got to work on qualifying. I think a lot of it is on me. That’s not a great feeling to have as a driver, but I’m so proud of our fight today.” THE TWO TIRE CALL AND THEN THE LATE CAUTIONS. YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T WANT TO SEE THOSE AT THE END, RIGHT? “No, even before that last caution with like 30 to go I was fairly content. You hate to say that as a driver, but for the day that we had, I was content. I’m proud of my crew chief, Chris (Lawson) with those calls. We were on the same page for two tires. Immediately when the caution came out, I said, ‘I think two tires or even stay out here.’ I’m thankful he didn’t let me stay out, but two tires was definitely the right call and I’m just really proud.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Kroger/Muscle Milk Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We ended up eighth because we had a good restart with our Kroger/Muscle Mile Ford Mustang Dark Horse. On a green-white-checker we were able to take advantage and move forward, so that’s a good feeling. We’ve just got to find a way to break into that top five for those restarts because if we can be there, we’re just as good. It’s just when you start 10th or 12th to make up that ground is extremely difficult. They made great adjustments during the race and got our car in contention. The pit crew rebounded and did a great job, so we’re gonna work on putting it all together from practice to qualifying to the race and we’ll be fighting for the wins.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT BRISTOL: Post-Race Report

NASCAR Cup Series
Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 500
Team Chevy Post-Race Report
April 12, 2026

Larson Leads Chevrolet with Podium Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

  • Kyle Larson wrapped up a trip to “The Last Great Colosseum” with a third-place finish to lead Chevrolet in Sunday’s Food City 500. The result, which matches his best of the season with eight races complete, was accompanied by a pair of career feats, including his third all-time stage sweep at the Tennessee half-mile. The reigning champion also tallied a race-high 284 laps led to become just the ninth driver in series’ history to achieve 2,000 laps led at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Earning his third top-10 qualifying effort of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar put together a strong points day – becoming one of the eight drivers to earn points in both stages en route to his second career top-10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.

RACE RECAP:

Stage One:

Three of Team Chevy’s double-duty drivers earned a top-10 starting position for Sunday’s Food City 500 – led by Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain, who took the green flag from the sixth position. Both lining up on the outside lane, a masterful start for Chastain and Kyle Larson saw the pair of Chevrolet drivers jump up to the second and third positions, respectively, on the opening lap. Making the pass for second, Larson quickly closed in on then race leader, Ryan Blaney, on Lap 35 as they already began to maneuver through lap traffic. Capitalizing on his track position, Larson made the pass to take the lead 10 laps later to pace his first laps of the race. Confidently making his way through traffic, Larson maintained the top position until a spinning Brad Keselowski brought out the first caution of the day on Lap 61. Larson’s first report from behind the wheel mentioned that his No. 5 Chevrolet was free on entry before approaching lap traffic. Larson was among the majority of the field to make their first trip to pit road of the race. Lining up on the outside lane of the front-row, a fresh set of tires paid dividends for the reigning champion – rocketing back to the lead on the restart. Picking up right where he left off, Larson not only held onto the top position but pulled away to a nearly 2.5-second lead and lapped up to the 28th position en route to the stage win.

Stage Two:

Under the stage break, Larson reported that he was overall happy with the handling of his Chevrolet-powered machine. With no requests for any major adjustments, crew chief Cliff Daniels called his driver to pit road for a routine four tires and fuel stop, and with his pit crew delivering once again, the driver won the race off pit road to regain the top position for the start of Stage Two. Once again proving his strength on the outside lane, Larson found his way back to the command on the restart to begin the next 114-lap run. Able to make it on fuel for the entirety of Stage Two, the majority of the field, including the No. 5 team, made it a nonstop run with Larson holding off a hard charging Blaney to drive to his third career stage sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Final Stage:

Back in a familiar position, Larson found himself on the front row to take the green flag for the longest stage of the race. Quickly facing lap traffic around the high-banked half-mile, a side-by-side battle with Blaney saw Larson lose the lead near the 100-lap marker of the final stage as the driver started to lack right-rear grip during the run. Settled into the third position, a caution with just 23 laps to go saw the opportunity to make a gamble on pit strategy. Only eight of the lead-lap cars opted to hit pit road, including Larson, with Daniels calling for a two-tire stop. Restarting in the sixth position, fresher tires than the leaders saw Larson make a quick charge back to the front to enter into a three-wide battle for the lead with 10 laps to go. Finding his way back to the third position, yet another caution flew to set the race up for an overtime finish. With a tight battle among the top-three contenders, Larson went on to take the checkered flag in the third position to score his ninth career top-five finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 Results

Pos. Driver
3rd – Kyle Larson
10th – Carson Hocevar

Chevrolet’s season statistics with eight NASCAR Cup Series races complete:

Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Top-Fives: 14
Top 10s: 25
Stage Wins: 4

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Kansas Speedway with the AdventHealth 400 on Sunday, April 19, at 2 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes:

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 18th

“The Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevrolet team battled today, and we’ll take an 18th place finish at the end of it. Our Chevrolet was just way too loose for the majority of the day. Richard Boswell (crew chief) and the guys kept making adjustments and we made it better in the last stage. We started to lose front turn in the middle of the corner at the end of a run. The top line probably would have been a better choice on the final restart because everybody just parked, but you never know until it happens. Everyone at RCR and ECR will keep working to make our cars better.”

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 3rd

“It was just really aggressive, hard racing there at the end. Ty (Gibbs, race winner) did a great job of hanging on with fresher tires behind him. Just proud of this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team. We had a great day. (Ryan) Blaney probably had the best car, but his pit crew was putting him behind all day, which allowed us to lead a lot of laps and win both stages. I knew he’d be hard to beat. I was watching my mirror; he’d have a bad pit stop and drive right back up to second with no problem. We were just a little too free to run the pace he was running around the bottom, even on the top, too. All-in-all, we’ll take it – two stage wins and a third-place finish.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 25th

“Not the finish any of us wanted for the No. 8 Bank OZK Chevrolet here this afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway. We battled the rear of the car the entire race, and despite the best efforts of the team, we got a lap down in the third stage and were never able to get back that track position. We’re going to keep putting in the work and hopefully that begins to translate next weekend in Kansas.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 15th

“Overall, it was a really solid day. We stayed on the lead lap all day with long green flag runs. I felt like we had anywhere between a 10th to 15th-place car all day. The track was very tricky with the PJ1. Basically, you just couldn’t really run the top to makeup time. I thought our Chevrolet had pretty good balance on the bottom. We didn’t need that last caution or we could have finished a few spots better. We still came home with a 15th-place finish. It was a big improvement from where we’ve been the last few weeks, so that’s nice to see. Hopefully we can go to Kansas, a racetrack that we struggled at last year, and keep building on it.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage Two.

Finished: 37th

“I don’t know if we kind of just misjudged it, being in Group A (in practice). I thought we were OK in practice, but to start the race, we were in trouble. It’s a bummer that we didn’t get a chance to work on it. I know Blake (Harris, crew chief) and this No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team would have liked some pit stops to try and make the car better and get going back in the right direction. We were just struggling, and then got caught up in somebody else’s mess. I hate it for this team, but we’ll move onto the next one (at Kansas Speedway).”

Bowman on how he felt in the car:

“I felt good. I’m frustrated right now, right? Bristol (Motor Speedway) is one of my favorite racetracks and we just missed it. At the same time, it’s nice to be back in the racecar. I appreciate everyone’s support and definitely thankful to be back.”

We really need one good week to start getting the ball rolling in the right direction again. Honestly, I thought this could be a really good one for us, even after qualifying. I think this is a good place for us, historically, but we just didn’t have it today. Hopefully we can get things pointed in the right direction next weekend at Kansas (Speedway).”

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Finished: 10th

“That was the lowest we were all day. Not the way we wanted to end it. We were really good in the long run, but it was really tough to drive on the restarts. Just too loose. I’m happy we had the speed to run top five all day and have a shot at it at the end. Got some nice stage points, so a really good day points-wise. We excel at the intermediates, so we’re looking forward to Kansas next week.”

Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 33rd

“We had a decent day at Bristol Motor Speedway. We didn’t quite have the speed that we needed, and then made a mistake that cost us from there. We’ll take what we can from it, move onto Kansas Speedway next weekend and see what we can do there. Appreciate Roto-Rooter coming on board and being a part of the entire weekend. It was an honor to have them on both cars.”

About General Motors

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GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

PROCK’S STRONG POMONA CHARGE STOPPED EARLY BY SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION

POMONA, CA (April 12, 2026) – Tasca Racing and driver Austin Prock delivered a weekend of measurable progress and competitive performance at the 2026 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, highlighted by a strong top five qualifying effort and the team’s quickest pass of the season to date.

Piloting the PPG Nitro Mustang Funny Car, Prock and the Prock-led crew continued to build momentum through challenging and evolving track conditions, steadily improving performance across all four qualifying sessions.

Friday’s opening pass in Q1 resulted in a 4.593-second run at 278.46 mph after Prock pedaled the car following early issues near the 330-foot mark. The team responded in Q2 with a significant step forward, running a 4.015 at 312.86 mph. The run showed clear low-ET potential before a dropped cylinder just past the 330-foot mark cut the performance short, positioning the team fourth in qualifying after two sessions.

After a lengthy delay on Saturday due to track cleanup, Q3 presented improved conditions, but the PPG Mustang overpowered the track and lost traction before half-track, resulting in a 6.005-second pass. Undeterred, the team rebounded in Q4 with its strongest run of the weekend. Prock delivered a 3.967 at 323.58 mph, combining his best reaction time of the event with a clean, fast pass that indicated additional performance remained on the table. The effort secured the No. 5 qualifying position heading into eliminations.

Facing Jason Rupert in the opening round on Sunday, Prock posted a strong 0.063 reaction time and had the quicker car early in the run. However, a malfunction in the safety system prematurely shut the car off, resulting in a 4.945-second pass at 157.23 mph and a first-round exit.

Despite the early elimination, the weekend marked a clear step forward for Tasca Racing as the team continues to refine its combination early in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

“We’re making progress,” said Prock. “This PPG Mustang showed it can run with the best cars out here. We had a car capable of winning first round today, and while the result didn’t go our way, the performance gains are real. There’s more in this car, and we’re heading in the right direction.”

Tasca Racing now shifts its focus to the 4 Wide Nationals in Charlotte, the next event on the NHRA schedule, building on the performance gains and momentum established in Pomona.

Hunter Lawrence Rises to the Occasion in Nashville to Seize Control of Monster Energy Supercross Title Fight

Cole Davies Dominant En Route to Fourth Eastern Divisional 250SMX Win

NASHVILLE (April 11, 2026) – The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship made its anticipated return to “Music City” for Round 13 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship as a massive crowd gathered inside Nissan Stadium to witness the closest three-rider title fight in 450SMX Class history. When the dust settled, Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence stepped up and seized control of the championship battle with an emphatic victory that saw him take sole possession of the points lead heading into the final four races of the season.

The start of the premier class 20 Minutes + 1 Lap Main Event saw Quad Lock Honda’s Shane McElrath grab the holeshot, but he was quickly surpassed by several riders that ultimately moved Team Tedder Racing KTM’s Justin Hill into the lead ahead of Progressive Insurance Cycle Gear Suzuki’s Ken Roczen and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado. Lawrence slotted into the top five as Roczen went on the attack and seized control of the early lead. Behind them, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Eli Tomac, the championship co-leader, was mired outside the top 10.

As Roczen paced the field, Lawrence charged up to second and was the fastest rider on the track. The pace up front stabilized through the middle of the Main Event with a gap that hovered between one to two seconds as the top two pulled away from the rest of the field. With just over eight minutes to go Roczen lost traction before a triple jump, which allowed Lawrence to jump by into the lead. Roczen attempted to fight back, but Lawrence completed the pass and sprinted away to a gap of nearly two seconds. Roczen went down a short time later and dropped to fourth behind Hill and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cooper Webb.

Lawrence found himself more than 15 seconds clear of the field through the final five minutes, while the battle for the podium raged on behind him. Webb attempted to make a pass on Hill for second but was initially denied. Webb regrouped and made the move stick a short time later. Roczen then followed through into third, with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Chase Sexton pressing from fourth.

Back up front, Lawrence never put a wheel wrong and rode to a decisive fourth win this season by a margin of 7.1 seconds over Webb, as the reigning champion earned his first podium in four races. Roczen grabbed a fourth consecutive podium in third. Tomac, who was fastest qualifier and won his Heat Race, never factored into the Main Event and ran as high as eighth before a late crash relegated him to 12th, equaling his worst result of the season.

With four races to go Lawrence has opened a 10-point lead in the championship standings over Roczen, who moved from third to second. Tomac fell to third and now sits 15 points out of the lead after sharing possession of the red plate entering Nashville.

Hunter Lawrence

Hunter Lawrence – 1st Place – 450SMX Class
“It feels great [to be back on top of the podium]. I’m so happy my wrist wasn’t holding me back today. That’s probably the coolest thing. Every Saturday I want to go out and have no limitations holding me back from anything. It feels like a home race with my collaboration with Gibson [Guitars] and how welcoming everyone is and I always look forward to coming back.”

Cooper Webb – 2nd Place – 450SMX Class
“This race was hard. The track was sketchy and you wanted to push, but you couldn’t. I’m happy with [second] and we got through safe. I had another terrible start, which is not how you want to draw it up. We’ve got some work to do to catch that lead group, but I’ll take the podium after the past few weekends. It’s a good boost of confidence for me.”

Ken Roczen – 3rd Place – 450SMX Class
“I just felt a little bit off today compared to the past few weekends, but nonetheless we still have only four races to go, and anything goes in the Main Event. I was doing pretty good and once Hunter [Lawrence] got by me, I was going to settle for second and that felt like it was a win for me today. I ended up tossing it right before the finish line and luckily, I got the bike started and back going. I would have loved to finish second, but I’ll take a podium. That’s like a win for us. We’ve got a bunch of racing to go.”

Eli Tomac – 12th Place – 450SMX Class
“What a day – the whole day was good, other than the Main Event result. I was comfortable with my setup all day, so I’m just frustrated not only with the bad gate selection – I should have avoided the inside on the start – but also the crash. That bad start really put me in a tough spot from the get-go and I had my work cut out for me trying to make passes on such a slick, tight track. I lost a bunch of points today, but all I can do at this point is ride my best at the remaining rounds and let the chips fall where they may.”

250SMX Class

The 15 Minutes + 1 Lap Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class Main Event began with the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing machine of Daxton Bennick out front for the holeshot ahead of Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Nate Thrasher and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Drew Adams. Also in the mix were the East’s two title combatants, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Cole Davies and Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Seth Hammaker. Thrasher was able to take advantage of his strong start to quickly power by Bennick, and grab hold of the early lead.

Davies and Hammaker latched on to one another and made a march forward, with Davies capitalizing on his explosive whoop speed to make passes. Less than five minutes into the race Davies moved to the front of the field, while Hammaker bided his time and worked his way up to second a short time later. As he looked to make up ground on the lead Hammaker made a costly miscue when his foot hit a tuff block and shot his Kawasaki sideways, which sent Hammaker to the ground. He quickly remounted in fourth, but several seconds outside podium contention.

Davies built a lead of more than five seconds halfway into the Main Event and added to a dominant advantage through the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, Hammaker dug deep and clawed his way back onto the podium. He passed Thrasher for third and with time running out on the race clock was all over Bennick for second. The Husqvarna rider lost traction with his rear tire in his attempt to fend off Hammaker, which initiated a collision between the pair and sent both riders to the ground. Thrasher slipped by into second, while Hammaker remounted in third and Bennick in fourth.

Davies cruised to his fourth win of the season by a margin of 17.2 seconds over Thrasher, who benefitted from the misfortunes of his rivals to capture his first podium result of the season. Hammaker salvaged a podium result in third after an adversity filled race but was later penalized two positions by race officials after he cut the track re-entering the race following his first crash. That moved ClubMX Yamaha’s Devin Simonson, who passed Bennick on the final lap, up to third for a maiden podium result.

Following the penalty to Hammaker, Davies’ points lead expanded to 29 points with three races to go. Bennick sits third, 40 points out of the lead.

Cole Davies

Cole Davies – 1st Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“The whoops were sketchy today. They were super steep and since [the track crew] left them all day the cups were really gnarly. I’m stoked, that was a good race. I didn’t get off to a good start, but I made it happen and I’m stoked with that.”

Nate Thrasher – 2nd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class
“Honestly, I did not ride good at all. I just didn’t have a flow. I was really great in practice and solid in the Heat Race. The track just kept getting harder packed and I started struggling a little bit. I got a little pumped up and did the best I could. I’m pumped to be on the podium, but we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Devin Simonson – 3rd Place – Eastern Divisional 250SMX Class*
“I was able to pick up on some lines battling with Henry [Miller] and made the pass on him quick [for fifth]. A bunch of carnage was happening out front, I honestly don’t know what, but I saw on the pit board I was battling for fourth, so I gave it everything I had and came out with this one.”

The Monster Energy SMX World Championship and Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship will continue next Saturday, April 18, with Round 14 from Huntington Bank Field for the sport’s first visit to Cleveland in 30 years. Live broadcast coverage will be highlighted by a network showcase on NBC at 3 p.m. ET, in addition to comprehensive coverage on Peacock, beginning at 9 a.m. ET with Race Day Live, followed by the Gate Drop at 3 p.m. ET. A special encore network presentation will air on NBC as well on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. ET. Additionally, a domestic Spanish language broadcast is available on Peacock while international viewers can choose from dedicated English, French, and Spanish broadcasts via SMX Video Pass (www.SMXVideoPass.com).

All 17 rounds of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and 11 rounds of the Pro Motocross Championship are on sale. Tickets for the SMX World Championship Playoff Rounds and Final are now on sale at SuperMotocross.com. Saturday FanFest will take place at all postseason races, Friday FanFest and camping will be available in Columbus and Ridgedale, additional details to follow.

For information about the Monster Energy SMX World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Instagram: @supermotocross
Facebook: @supermotocross
X: @supermotocross
YouTube: @supermotocross
TikTok: @supermotocross

About the Monster Energy SMX World Championship:
The Monster Energy SMX World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series in the world that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the Monster Energy SMX World Championship Series combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 28-round regular season that culminates with the season-ending SMX World Championship Playoffs. Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

About Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship:
Monster Energy AMA Supercross is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship on the planet. Founded in America and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) since 1974. Over 17 weeks, Supercross attracts some of the largest and most impressive crowds inside the most recognizable and prestigious stadiums in North America to race in front of nearly one million live fans and broadcast to millions more worldwide. For more information, visit SupercrossLIVE.com.

About Pro Motocross Championship:
The Pro Motocross Championship features the world’s fastest outdoor motocross racers, competing aboard homologated bikes from one of seven competing manufacturers on a collection of the roughest, toughest tracks on the planet. Racing takes place each Saturday afternoon, with competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc machines, and one for 450cc machines. MX Sports Pro Racing, the industry leader in off-road powersports event production, manages the Pro Motocross Championship. For more information, visit ProMotocross.com.

About Feld Motor Sports, Inc.:
Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting specialized arena and stadium-based motorsports entertainment. Properties include Monster Jam®, Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the Monster Energy SMX World Championship. Feld Motor Sports, Inc. is a subsidiary of Feld Entertainment, Inc. Visit monsterjam.com, SupercrossLIVE.com, and feldentertainment.com for more information.

About MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc.:
MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., manages and produces the world’s premier motocross racing series – the Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. MX Sports Pro Racing is an industry leader in off-road powersport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing, Inc., organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit MXSportsProRacing.com for more information.

Brady Golan Dominates at NOLA in FR Americas Season Opener

Photo courtesy of Gavin Baker Photography

Whitney Strickland Wins in Masters Cup While Making Series Debut

AVONDALE, La. (April 11, 2026) – Brady Golan dominated Race 1 to win the 2026 Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) season opener at NOLA Motorsports Park on Saturday morning. For the second year in a row, Golan stood atop the podium at the 2.75-mile track just outside New Orleans.

Notes of Interest:

  • Brady Golan won the opening race of the 2026 season. The victory marked Golan’s second win at NOLA Motorsports Park, and the third of his FR Americas career.
  • Christian Bogle returned to FR Americas for the first time since 2021, and earned his first-career FR Americas podium in Race 1 at NOLA.
  • Cooper Shipman moved up to FR Americas for the 2026 season after winning the 2025 Formula 4 United States Championship and the FR Americas scholarship that accompanied the prize. Shipman’s third-place result marked the second of his career, after also finishing in third during his series’ debut at Barber Motorsports Park in 2025.
  • Toney Driver Development scored a 1-2 finish with Golan and Bogle on the podium.
  • Reigning Team Champion, Kiwi Motorsport scored their first podium of 2026 with Shipman’s third-place result.

After an aborted standing start, the field raced toward a waving green flag to start the opening race of the 2026 season. Already lined up two-by-two, the third-place starter Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) challenged pole sitter Evagoras Papasavvas (No. 71 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3). The Crosslink Motorsports teammates made contact, allowing Brady Golan (No. 40 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) to take the lead as the full course yellow was displayed.

When the green flag waved to restart the race, Golan put on a clinic opening up a nearly 10-second lead before a late-race caution regrouped the field. With just three minutes left on the clock, the race restarted with enough time for a green-white-checkered finish. Having his gap erased didn’t stop the Toney Driver Development driver from once again pulling away from the field. As the checkered flag waved two laps later, he held a 5.699-second margin over the field, claiming his first win of the 2026 season.

Hauanio had an up-and-down day starting the race third and then dropping back to 13th after making contact with his teammate. Despite that, he raced through the field to cross the line in second.

Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3), another of Hauanio’s Crosslink Motorsports teammates, started the race sixth, but quickly climbed to second as Hauanio and Papasavvas had early contact. After spending most of the race in that position, Wolfe dropped to third on the white flag lap before seeing the checkered flag.

After the race, the stewards reviewed video footage and determined that both Hauanio and Wolfe left the track in Turn 1 to overtake Cooper Shipman (No. 10 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3). While the incidents occurred at different times—Wolfe’s during the initial start and Hauanio’s during the later restart—the result was the same, as both drivers were issued a five-second penalty. With the penalty, Hauanio dropped to seventh on the official results, while Wolfe was scored ninth. Christian Bogle (No. 7 Pelican Energy Consultants / Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) and Shipman were promoted to second and third, respectively.

“We had a good car today,” said Golan after the race. “We did a lot of work in the off season, so I’m super happy to see that it’s turned out well. It’s always nice to have a massive lead, but we built up a decent one again after the restart, too. We’ve had by far the fastest and most reliable car of the year. So, I’m super happy with Toney Driver Development. They’ve done an incredible job.”

Displaying consistency throughout the race, Whitney Strickland (No. 21 TF Companies / Hillenburg Motorsports Ligier JS F3) claimed his first win in the FR Americas Masters Cup Contingency. He was joined on the podium by Kevin Janzen (No. 24 US Power Group/Data Center Solutions / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) and Anthony Autiello (No. 07 Hope For The Warriors / Momentum Motorsports Ligier JS F3), who finished second and third, respectively.

“It’s been pretty fun,” said Strickland after climbing from the car. “I’m getting used to the Ligier JS F3 car—it’s my first weekend in it really, so I’m pretty happy to get a good result. I want to thank TF Companies for letting me come out here and do this. My management team took over the company, and as CEO, I got a little break to come do this race. I also have to thank Hillenburg Motorsports for the support, and my wife for being the team mom.”

Evagoras Papasavvas
Photo courtesy of Gavin Baker Photography.

Evagoras Papasavvas Takes FR Americas Race 2 Win at NOLA

Whitney Strickland Takes Second-Consecutive Masters Cup Victory

AVONDALE, La. (April 11, 2026) – Evagoras Papasavvas earned his first-career win in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon. Capitalizing on a race of attrition, the former INDY NXT driver captured his first victory in the top level of Racing America’s Formula Ladder.

Notes of Interest:

  • Evagoras Papasavvas earned his first FR Americas win in just his second start during the opening day of the 2026 season at NOLA Motorsports Park.
  • Cooper Shipman earned a career-best in FR Americas with a runner-up finish in Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park. Shipman is competing in FR Americas this season with support from the Champion’s Scholarship program, which he won by taking the Formula 4 United States Championship title last year.
  • Moving up the ladder into FR Americas for the 2026 season, Kekai Hauanio earned his first podium with a third-place finish in Race 2.
  • Whitney Strickland went two-for-two on Saturday, winning the Masters Cup in both races.
  • FR Americas continues to be recognized as a viable training ground for drivers looking to prepare for INDY NXT and INDYCAR due to the similarities in the cars and how they handle. Today’s winner, Papasavvas, competed in a partial INDY NXT season just last year.

Brady Golan (No. 40 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS F3) led the field to the start lights, but a stall on the grid resulted in contact and significant damage to the Race 1 winner’s machine. The incident brought out an immediate yellow flag as second-place starter Cooper Shipman (No. 10 Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) led the field to the safety car. Once the incident cleared, Shipman led the field to the green flag. It was Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N-E-Where Transport / Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) who got the jump as the field rushed toward Turn 1. Taking control of the race, Hauanio pulled away as he set the pace and led all the way to the final minutes of the race. As the field rushed toward the white flag, Hauanio hit the rumble strips off Turn 16 locking his car into gear. Unable to shift, Hauanio’s teammate Papasavvas (No. 71 Crosslink Motorsports Ligier JS F3) made his way around as they raced down the front straight and Shipman quickly followed.

When they crossed the finish line, Papasavvas led, followed by Shipman and Hauanio.

“I mean with two laps left, it came to a point where you have to think about the championship, so I was just thinking about getting P2 and getting the second-place points, which was going to be good. I’m super happy going from sixth to first. I made some moves early and just put myself in the right place. I stayed focused on hitting my marks and one by one ticking them off. The car felt pretty good and it ended up working out in my favor. I have to thank Body Wise, Tiger Natural Gas, my family, Ares Elite Sports Vision, and just everyone at Crosslink Motorsports.”

FR Americas will contest their final race of the Racing America at NOLA weekend tomorrow at 9:10 a.m. CT. Live timing and scoring will be available on Race Monitor, with additional news and updates shared on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

ARCA Menards West at Tucson Speedway: ARCA Menards West Tucson 150 Post-race Notes & Unofficial Results

  • Cole Denton (No. 71 Jan’s Towing Ford) started from the Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole and dominated Saturday’s ARCA Menards West Tucson 150, scoring his first career series victory in just his third career ARCA Menards West start. At 15 years, 8 months, and 16 days of age, Denton becomes the fourth-youngest winner in series history behind Jesse Love, Todd Gilliland, and Taylor Gray.
  • Reigning ARCA Menards West champion Trevor Huddleson (No. 50 High Point Racing / Racecar Factory Ford) finished second after spending much of the middle stages of the race outside the top ten conserving tires.
  • Eric Johnson, Jr. (No. 5 Sherwin-Williams Toyota) finished third, his second consecutive top-three finish at Tucson; he finished second in 2025.
  • Denton’s Jan’s Racing teammate Robbie Kennealy (No. 1 Jan’s Towing Ford) raced to the front to lead a lap early in the race before dropping back into the field to conserve tires for a late charge to the front. Kennealy’s strategy paid off with a fourth-place finish, his best finish of the season.
  • Gavin Ray (No. 7 Jerry Pitts Racing Toyota) finished fifth, his best career series finish. Combined with Johnson, Jr.’s third-place finish, Jerry Pitts Racing had two drivers finish in the top five.
  • Eric Rhead (No. 66 Champ Transport / Turnkey Leasing Chevrolet) finished a career-best sixth after running in the top five in the mid stages of the race.
  • Hailey Deegan (No. 16 Columbia Bank / Monster Energy Chevrolet) finished sixth, her second sixth-place finish of the year; she also finished sixth in the season opener at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. It was a busy yet successful weekend for the Deegan family; her father Brian Deegan won the Freedom 500 at Cleetus McFarland’s Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Fla. on Friday night.
  • Mia Lovell (No. 15 Pine HealthToyota) notched her first career top-ten finish in eighth, as did her Nitro Motorsports teammate Julian DaCosta (No. 25 Austin Canvas and Awning Toyota) in tenth.
  • Memphis Villareal (No. 72 RBR Engineering Chevrolet) ran as high as second before the second and final caution flag of the night. He faded on the ensuing restart, dropping to ninth at the finish.
  • Seventy-six year old David Smith (No. 05 Shockwave Marine Suspension Toyota) started last in the 17-car field but quickly raced his way through the field to take the lead before lap 50. He would lead until the first restart of the night, the first time in his career he led laps in an ARCA Menards West race.
  • Ninety-eight year old NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Hershel McGriff gave the command to start engines. McGriff is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and the 1986 champion of what is now the ARCA Menards West with 34 career wins. He made his final career start at Tucson Speedway in 2018 at the age of 90.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards West is the Bill Schmitt Memorial 173 at Shasta Speedway at 11:00 pm ET / 8:30 pm PT on Saturday, May 2. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing and simulcast on The NASCAR Channel. ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring data for all on-track activity.

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

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!

Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

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

RCR NOAPS Race Recap: Bristol Motor Speedway

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Battle Adversity at Bristol Motor Speedway En Route to 12th-Place Finish on Saturday Night

Finish: 12th
Start: 12th
Points: 3rd

“Tonight was frustrating. Obviously not the finish we wanted or expected from the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet team. We were racing forward inside the top 10 for portions of the race, but overall fired off tight and struggled with handling the entire race, despite multiple adjustments. We’re going to go back to Welcome, NC, get to the bottom of the issue, reset and head to Kansas next weekend determined to get back to Victory Lane.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Team Encounter Tight-Handling Balance at Bristol Motor Speedway

Finish: 21st
Start: 23rd
Points: 6th

“What a bummer for our Global Industrial team. I thought we were going to capitalize and make the most of our night to at least get a top-10 finish. The car fired off tight at the start of the race and was definitely too tight to run the bottom. We made the high line work to drive forward, but then something happened to our right rear. The brake would lock up and cause me to wheel hop. Hate it for this No. 21 group.” -Austin Hill

KALITTA, HAGAN AND GLENN WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE IN POMONA

Pruett, Todd and Anderson qualify No. 1 at Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals

POMONA, Calif. (April 11, 2026) – Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta continued to rule the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, winning the bonus race for a second straight time after beating Maddi Gordon on the final round as part of the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, while Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) all qualified No. 1 at the third of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Kalitta has simply been dominant in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge the past two years, winning for the seventh time since the start of 2025, with Saturday’s coming after going 3.747-seconds at 333.66 mph in his Mac Tools dragster to hold off the rookie sensation Gordon.

Saturday success has proven beneficial for the Kalitta Motorsports team, as the reigning world champion entered the weekend as the points leader. Already the winningest Top Fuel driver at Pomona, he’ll look to win at the historic track for the eighth time on Sunday.

“I think the fans like racing on Saturday. I think it’s cool just to be able to just try to outrun the people you raced the previous race, and winning these things on Saturday is huge momentum for everybody on our team,” Kalitta said. “Every time we go up there, regardless of what we’re doing with somebody in the other lane, I’m always just trying to get the win light to come on in our lane.

“The car got to about half track, and it was really cool because you can tell that the tires aren’t slipping and it’s hooked up one-to-one. I knew I had a good shot at getting the win. Tomorrow, it’s just one round at a time. Everybody’s tough, first round to fourth round, if you can make it that far.”

Leah Pruett closed out qualifying with a strong run, but her first No. 1 qualifier since 2023 and 16th in her career was clinched on the strength of Friday’s 3.724 at 329.75-mph in her 12,000-horsepower Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters dragster. She’ll get a first-round bye on Sunday to open eliminations and a race after advancing to the final round, Pruett has a great opportunity to pick up her first victory of the season.

“We’re thrilled with where our performance is at and the confidence and momentum is building with this team,” Pruett said. “Yeah, I’m happy. I have my own work to do, but man, we’re moving and grooving and looking forward to eliminations tomorrow.”

Josh Hart, who won in Gainesville, qualified second with a run of 3.733 at 336.15, and Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon took third after going 3.745 at 338.51.

Four-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan continued his own success in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, knocking off Paul Lee in the final round on Saturday with a run of 3.940 at 329.58 in his 12,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge SRT Hellcat.

It’s the first bonus race win of the season for Hagan, who won the overall Mission #2Fast2Tasty trophy last year in Funny Car. He made a pair of solid runs on Saturday, which could again bode well for a Sunday victory.

“It’s a race inside of a race, and I hope I used up all my adrenaline for today,” Hagan said. “It’s cool, what Mission does and to be able to win some money for the crew guys and scoop up the points, it’s exciting. We’ve got a great race car this year, and I’m excited to see what we can do with it. This is one of the little accolades that we get to put up on the shelf, but I think there’s a lot more.

“I’ve been dreaming about getting three trophies: the Mission Challenge, the event trophy and that 1,000th trophy Funny Car trophy, so there’s a lot to be had. That’s wishful thinking, though, because these Funny Cars are super humbling.”

J.R. Todd put himself in a great spot to win the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history, powering to the No. 1 spot for the first time in five years with a run of 3.896 at 335.32 in his 12,000-horsepower DHL Toyota GR Supra. He’ll open eliminations against Blake Alexander, looking for his first win of the season, but the past champion was thrilled with Saturday’s success, finishing with his 15th No. 1 qualifier and first since the 2021 campaign.

“It just shows that the performance of our DHL hot rod, that it’s coming around thanks to Dickie [Venables] and Todd [Smith],” Todd said. “It was awesome to see that 3.89 come up on the scoreboard when I went by, but I’m just happy for the guys; they put in so much hard work back there in the pit area.

“I saw the 1,000th Funny Car winner trophy on the wall up there in Q3. That’d be an awesome accomplishment. There’s been a lot of great Funny Car drivers and it was pretty awesome to see Shawn [Langdon, Top Fuel teammate] get the [1,000th Top Fuel win] last year in Charlotte. So, if we could pull that off and put that trophy next to his at the shop, I think that would make Connie [Kalitta, team owner] really happy. I love coming here. There’s a lot of history at this place and hopefully we can add some more history tomorrow.”

Phoenix winner Ron Capps qualified second after a run of 3.919 at 330.88 and Jordan Vandergriff took third with a 3.925 at 329.99.

In Pro Stock, Dallas Glenn remained undefeated in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in 2026, defeating Aaron Stanfield in the final round of the bonus race with a strong run of 6.525 at 208.55 in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro.

Glenn, the reigning world champion, won the specialty event in Phoenix and had no issues on Saturday in Pomona, cruising to two impressive performances to get another bonus victory. A year after winning the world title, Glenn continues to perform at an incredible level, as he also looks to win his second straight race.

“The Mission Challenge brings that race day mentality and gets you ready for Sunday,” Glenn said. “You go out there and get two win lights and that just builds the confidence to know that you can take out anybody when everything’s right. I feel like I’ve got a lot of confidence in the car and I feel like I’m driving good, where I don’t have to think about anything, and you can just go out there and do it, everything clicks and the car runs well.”

Greg Anderson took the No. 1 spot for the second time this season and the 142nd time in his career, improving on Friday’s run with a stellar pass of 6.516 at 209.69 in his HendrickCars.com Camaro. Anderson will open eliminations against Kenny Delco, looking for his first victory of the season and his 17th career win in Pomona.

Eliminations for the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals begin at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.


POMONA, Calif. — Saturday’s final results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip.

Top Fuel Challenge — Doug Kalitta, 3.747 seconds, 333.66 mph def. Maddi Gordon, 3.798 seconds, 327.98 mph.

Funny Car Challenge — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.940, 329.58 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.198, 236.71.

Pro Stock Challenge — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.525, 208.55 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 18.685, 63.74.

POMONA, Calif. — Final round-by-round results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip.

TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Maddi Gordon, 3.831, 317.34 def. Shawn Langdon, 4.435, 180.62; Doug Kalitta, 3.987, 234.49 def. Leah Pruett, 5.890, 111.44;

FINAL — D. Kalitta, 3.747, 333.66 def. M. Gordon, 3.798, 327.98.

FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.997, 325.45 def. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 8.442, 67.87; Paul Lee, Charger, 4.024, 297.81 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.677, 177.53;

FINAL — M. Hagan, 3.940, 329.58 def. P. Lee, 4.198, 236.71.

PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.553, 209.85 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.573, 208.94; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.529, 209.17 def. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.563, 209.56;

FINAL — D. Glenn, 6.525, 208.55 def. A. Stanfield, 18.685, 63.74.

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POMONA, Calif. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 66th annual Lucas Oil NHRA

Winternationals at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip, the third of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag

Racing

Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Leah Pruett, 3.724 seconds, 329.75 mph vs. Bye; 2. Josh Hart, 3.733, 336.15 vs. 15. Cameron Ferre, 5.785, 98.91; 3. Shawn Langdon, 3.745, 338.51 vs. 14. Tony Schumacher, 4.618, 152.80; 4. Doug Kalitta, 3.747, 338.34 vs. 13. Ron August, 4.613, 165.92; 5. Shawn Reed, 3.755, 330.31 vs. 12. Clay Millican, 4.022, 236.38; 6. Billy Torrence, 3.774, 334.65 vs. 11. Antron Brown, 3.953, 267.22; 7. Tony Stewart, 3.783, 332.18 vs. 10. Will Smith, 3.870, 324.20; 8. Maddi Gordon, 3.798, 327.98 vs. 9.

Justin Ashley, 3.826, 327.98.

Funny Car — 1. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.896, 335.32 vs. 16. Blake Alexander, Dodge Charger, 4.143, 316.97; 2. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.919, 330.88 vs. 15. Dylan Winefsky, Charger, 4.112, 290.82; 3. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 3.925, 329.99 vs. 14. Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.073, 288.70; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.940, 329.58 vs. 13. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.057, 312.06; 5. Austin Prock, Mustang,

3.967, 323.58 vs. 12. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.057, 318.09; 6. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.970, 322.65 vs. 11. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.024, 317.87; 7. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 3.979, 328.46 vs. 10. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.010, 317.27; 8. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.984, 325.61 vs. 9. Jim Campbell, Mustang, 3.992, 317.34. Did Not Qualify: 17. Jeff Arend, 4.160, 291.76; 18. Cruz Pedregon, 4.317, 217.04.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.516, 209.69 vs. 16. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.583, 208.84; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.525, 209.43 vs. 15. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.575, 209.98; 3. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.536, 210.01 vs. 14. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.572, 209.20; 4. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.541, 209.56 vs. 13. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.567, 208.68; 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.542, 209.65 vs. 12. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.565, 209.23; 6. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.547, 209.43 vs. 11. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.554, 210.41; 7. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.550, 209.65 vs. 10. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.553, 208.33; 8. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.553, 209.85 vs. 9. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.553, 209.52. Did Not Qualify: 17. Chris McGaha, 6.586, 209.59; 18. Joey Grose, 6.604, 208.46; 19. Mason McGaha, 6.611, 209.23.