Gets 22nd career victory and first since the 2024 season
EPPING, N.H. (June 1, 2025) – For the first time since the season opener in 2024, J.R. Todd was victorious in NHRA Funny Car racing, capturing the win in the New England Nationals at New England Dragway. Starting Sunday as the 10th seed, the driver of the DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car didn’t put a foot wrong, posting elapsed times of 3.9 seconds or better in all four rounds, including his best time of the day of 3.888 seconds in the finals. The triumph is the 22nd in the career of the 2018 world champion, which also boosted him four spots in the Funny Car points standings to the sixth position.
In Top Fuel, Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown advanced the furthest out of the Toyota Top Fuel Dragster contingent, with the two most recent world champions both making the semifinals. In the opening round, Kalitta set the New England Dragway time record with a 3.646 second elapsed time. Justin Ashley advanced out of round on Sunday as well but went no further than the quarterfinals.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action next weekend at Bristol Dragway for the eighth race of the 2025 season.
Toyota Post-Race Recap NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series New England Dragway NHRA New England Nationals Race 7 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS
Name
Car
Final Result
Round-by-Round
Doug Kalitta
Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
Semi-finals
W (3.646) v. Bye W (3.680) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.720) L (5.841) v. B. Force (3.641)
Antron Brown
Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
Semi-finals
W (4.229) v. M. Bucher (10.285) W (4.707) v. D. Mercier (6.978) L (3.738) v. T. Stewart (3.711)
Justin Ashley
SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
Second Round
W (3.723) v. J. Hart (7.158) L (5.893) v. T. Stewart (3.733)
Shawn Langdon
Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
First Round
L (5.199) v. D. Mercier (3.738)
Steve Torrence
CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
First Round
L (7.295) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.720)
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS
Name
Car
Final Result
Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd
DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
Winner
W (3.890) v. C. Pedregon (4.308) W (3.939) v. P. Burkart (No Time) W (3.889) v. A. DeJoria (3.971) W (3.888) v. S. Hyde (5.098)
Ron Capps
NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
First Round
L (8,903) v. A. DeJoria (3.926)
*= Non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports
FC Final Result: Winner
How much perseverance from you and the team is reflected in this win?
“You want to take about patience? I almost ran out of it on the starting line (in the final round). I flinched probably three or four times and did everything but a red light. Tree comes on, and I’m like, ‘Oh crap, I’m late!’ I never saw him (Spencer Hyde). Next thing you know, I’m over by the wall and (I said), ‘I ain’t lifting until that win light comes on.’ Sure enough, it came on. This is for Eddie (aka Scott Kalitta). We had the celebration last night in Scott’s honor. There were a handful of us telling some stories and this one is for him. I have to thank Connie (Kalitta, team owner) for giving me the chance to drive his car and my DHL, Toyota guys. They’re the best in the business. I say that all the time, but I truly I have the best crew out here. They dug deep, worked their butts off and they deserve this.”
DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Final Result: Semi-finals
How would you describe the weekend here in Epping?
“The Mac Tools Toyota team had a good weekend, but we were just right on the edge there in the semifinals. The track (was) really good. I’m real proud of the whole effort and the job my guys did this weekend. We had a really strong car today – it’s unfortunate we didn’t get the win, but we’ll drag it down to Bristol and try again next weekend.”
ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports
TF Final Result: Semi-finals
Describe your weekend.
“We fought through qualifying and did well – picked up some little bonus points there. Race day didn’t go as planned. We struggled a little bit in the first two rounds, but we made it through, and we put up a respectable run in the semifinals, but the good part is that we’re finding out what the culprit is and we’re addressing it. I think when we come out in Bristol, our Matco Tools, Toyota is going to be on mean, so we’re looking forward to it and looking forward to getting out next weekend.”
# # #
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.
CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX STREETS OF DETROIT DETROIT, MICHIGAN TEAM CHEVY POST RACE RECAP June 1, 2025
Santino Ferrucci and AJ Foyt Racing put Chevrolet on Podium in Detroit
Chevrolet powered drivers scored six of top-10 finishing positions in Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the Streets of Detroit
Santino Ferrucci posted his career best finish in NTT INDYCAR Series competition scoring the runner-up position behind the wheel of the famed No. 14 Sexton Properties AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet in what was literally a Detroit street fight
Coming from the 21st starting position on the grid, the gritty drive by Ferrucci combined with superb strategy by Michael Armbrester and flawless pit stops helped propel him to the second step on the podium
Following an almost 13 minute red flag for a two car incident involving Louis Foster and Felix Rosenqvist, both drivers seen and released from INDYCAR medical, Ferrucci took the green flag with 11 laps remaining and immediately came under attack by third-place finisher Colton Herta and fourth place Will Power, but maintained his second-place finishing position at the checkered
The Connecticut driver celebrated his 27th birthday on Saturday
Ferrucci’s podium is the 36th for a Chevrolet-powered driver in the manufacturer’s Motor City hometown
Will Power drove the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet to fourth place after battling valiantly for the final spot on the podium.
The top-five finish, which moved the Australian driver into the top five in the championship, was the 140th top-five in his career, tying him for sixth all-time with Al Unser.
Chevrolet drivers scored six of the top-10 finishers in today’s 100-lap Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on the Streets of Detroit
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, finished seventh and sits third in points as the series takes a week off from on-track competition
The top-10 run was the fifth strong run for O’Ward in eight Detroit apperances
Christian Lundgaard brought the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet home in eighth place, and sits fourth in the point standings
Finishing ninth was Josef Newgarden who drove his No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet from the 24th starting position
Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, finished 10th
Next up the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, after a much-deserved weekend off, is a trip to 1.25-mile, four turn World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway oval for a Sunday night showdown.
Bommarito Automotive Group 500 tune-in alert
Saturday, June 14
· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 11:30am (ET)/10:30am (CT)/9:30am (MT)/ 8:30am (MT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 1pm (ET)/2pm (CT)/3pm (MT)/4pm (PT) – FS1/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 5:30pm (ET)/4:30pm (CT)/3:30pm (MT)/ 2:30pm (MT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
Sunday, June 15
· NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 – 8pm (ET)/7pm (CT)/6pm (MT)/5pm (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Race Results
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING FROM THE CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX (QUOTES):
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Sexton Properties / A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet led 8 laps and finished 2nd:
“First off. Huge, huge shout out to this whole team. We were struggling in qualifying. I struggled and I made a lot of mistakes. I was hard on myself yesterday because it was all on me. Pit stops were phenomenal. The stand was amazing with perfect strategy. I just got lucky with that yellow and I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see a red flag. I was really struggling. I don’t know what I did with the tires, but I couldn’t get them to come back to life. Kyle was so fast today. Congratulations to him and his team. I’m just happy to bring Chevy to the podium in our Sexton Properties A.J. Foyt Racing Foyt back on the podium on the Streets Of Detroit.”
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet led one lap and finished 4th:
“It’s a good result, but disappointing that we didn’t get the podium there. My Verizon Chevy was very tough on restarts, but once the temp got in it, it was really strong. Obviously, I think the Andretti cars were really good, on restarts, and then they came back to us a bit. But, yeah, not bad, man. You know, survived Detroit a little bit disappointed that I didn’t get a podium. I mean, you know, obviously, results really matter for me at the moment. So, it’s still a good day.”
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet led three laps and finished 7th:
“This was maybe the worst performance weekend I’ve probably had in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. We legit qualified 18th just on pure pace. We’ve had other times where we’ve been back there, but it’s always been because there was an issue or I made a mistake. This one, that’s where we deserved to be. It’s been a very frustrating weekend and it’s been very challenging here. I’m glad we had a good points weekend, and we can move on from this place. I love World Wide Technology Raceway, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet finished 8th:
“I’m glad to finally finish the race. I woke up this morning feeling really good and confident because I knew we had a good car. It just didn’t seem to translate in the race from any of our other sessions. It was very frustrating from that aspect. At the end of the day, we got some good points with Pato in seventh and me in eighth. It’s unfortunate that Kirkwood won just because he’s so strong in the championship. Maybe the luck has run out for the 10 car, so we need to capitalize and score good points from here on out. We’re now off for a weekend after the busy month, so we can go home, rest and come back stronger next time.”
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet finished 9th:
Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet finished 10th:
“This was a challenging weekend from start to finish. I am proud of the team for sticking with it and salvaging something of a result with a Top 10. We will try to learn from it for next time.”
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet led 3 laps and finished 12th:
“Man, we couldn’t have had a much better start to the race than the one we had today. Detroit is unique with the length of pit lane and where the blend line is, so even though we were the last team to make their first pit stop we were able to come out as the effective leader. Obviously, I didn’t mean to get into the back of the 6 car. Have to be more aware than that but very proud of the effort by the Tire Rack Chevy guys. We dropped back to 24th after the stop-and-go and through great strategy and a fast car, we drove by to 12th.”
David Malukas, No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet finished 14th:
“We finished P 14 in the end, which is really unfortunate. We had a very good week. We found a lot of pace, got the car on that front row, and just got very unlucky on the start. Ended up people getting tows on us, and we were in clean air, so kind of just lost some positions throughout that. So we tried to get the tow and couldn’t, and filtered out p5 p6 where we were, and then, yeah, I just screwed up, honestly. Really just made a big mistake, but we recovered for P 14. So sorry to Clarience Technologies, A.J. Foyt, everybody on the team, and obviously to the 10 crew. We’ll bounce back.”
Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Holliger Racing Chevrolet finished 15th:
The Detroit GP. I hated it on Friday. I hated it some more on Saturday. I loved it on Sunday. The way that this team was able to turn our weekend around is unbelievable. We started so far out of the window. We were swinging for the fences and we almost hit a home run. I feel very proud of the team to be able to be as adaptable and versatile as they were throughout the weekend and make the right calls. The fact that we were able to get a top 15 today from where we started the weekend is pretty incredible. Lot’s learned. I’m pretty proud of the progress that we made and I think that will help us for the future. Goodheart and Freedom Service Dogs of America, those guys have been the backbone of our program this year, so thank you to them and the JHR team. We’re working on it and we’ll get there.”
Robert Shwartzman, No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet finished 16th:
“We finished Detroit in 16th, and I gave it my all today. We had a few issues in the pit stops, losing time during them which dropped us towards the back. But looking at who I was racing with during the first stint, it seemed that if we had got the pit stops right, we could have been up there. The car did feel difficult to drive, so we will need to have a look to see how we can improve it for next time. It was a tough race, and I hope from the next race onwards we can be further up the field and be competitive with the other drivers if we put it all together.”
Conor Daly, No. 76 Juncos Holliger Racing Chevrolet finished 17th:
Making up as many positions as we did is helpful. Obviously, I think our biggest struggle of the season, so to make a little progress in the race and the warm-up this morning. Sting Ray found some good stuff in the warm-up this morning and we were able to use it. Kind of unlucky timing on the last restart. We were running together and Abel got all kinds of slowed up between us and I got shoved wide, so I lost a little bit. The next race is one of my favorite races on the calendar. So, we’ll keep putting away data and now we can really compete at the front once again at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway.
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet finished 19th:
“That was probably one of the most miserable days of my racing career. We started at the back because of an issue that wasn’t anyone on our team’s fault yesterday. Today, we saved a bunch of fuel at the beginning, and that strategy ended up working out because it was the same as one of the cars on the podium. We did a good job at the beginning as a group, but then on the restart, I got destroyed. There was nothing I can do about that. That broke the car, we got two laps down, had to let people by all race. It was just a miserable time.”
Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Chevrolet led 21 laps and finished 24th:
“It was a solid weekend for the No. 21 Splenda Chevrolet team in Detroit. We made our first Fast 12 of the year and showed strong pace in every practice session. The race was going well too, we were the lead car on our strategy for a long stretch and even led 21 laps. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the checkered flag after we had a loss of power.”
Callum Ilott, No. 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet finished 26th:
“The first part of the race went well, the car was feeling good, and I think we were on track for a solid result. Unfortunately, on the last pit stop the front left didn’t go on properly and when I came out of the box onto the track the car wouldn’t turn and went straight into the wall. I’m okay though and the car seems to be repairable, but we need to investigate why it happened as its not ideal. Otherwise, we showed really positive pace this weekend.”
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.
DETROIT (Sunday, June 1, 2025) – Kyle Kirkwood survived front wing damage and pulled away on a late restart to win the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday.
It was the second victory of the season and fourth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory for Kirkwood, who also won the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix on April 13, also on a temporary street circuit.
“For some reason, the wing was damaged, but it wasn’t really causing that much of an issue,” Kirkwood said. “This AWS Honda was on rails all weekend long. There were some challenges out there, that’s for sure. We had to pass our way back through a handful of times, and it was definitely not a walk in the park, especially with that front-wing damage at the end. We did lose a little bit of performance, but the car actually felt fine.
“Epic pit stops. Epic strategy. We were definitely the fastest.”
Kirkwood, who started third in the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda of Andretti Global, crossed the finish line 3.5931 seconds ahead of the No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet of Santino Ferrucci. It was a career-best finish for Ferrucci and the best road- or street-course result for the team owned by legendary four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt since Takuma Sato also finished second in 2015 at this event when it took place on Belle Isle.
Colton Herta finished a season-best third in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda as Andretti Global put two drivers on the podium for the first time since Herta and Kirkwood went 1-2, respectively, last July on the streets of Toronto.
Two-time series champion Will Power finished fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, while Kyffin Simpson rounded out the top five with a career-best finish in the No. 8 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
This 100-lap race on the notoriously bumpy and tight nine-turn, 1.645-mile circuit on the streets of downtown Detroit came down to strategy and survival.
The 27-car field divided into two strategic camps at the start, with 12 cars beginning the race on Firestone’s grippier but less durable Firehawk alternate tires and 15 on the slower but more durable primary tires. The top nine starters, which included pole sitter Herta and teammate Kirkwood, opted to start on the softer alternate tire and shed it as soon as possible for the durability of the harder tire. INDYCAR rules require that all drivers must use both tire compounds for at least two laps per race.
That divided the field into separate pit cycles, with drivers on both strategies being forced to fight their way through the field after each stop while waiting for drivers on alternative tactics to pit.
Kirkwood first got to the front on Lap 39 when Scott Dixon, who started on the primary tire, made his first pit stop in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Kirkwood stayed in the lead until the end of Lap 50, when he made his second stop.
The race’s complexion changed on Lap 67 when Callum Ilott crashed into the barrier in Turn 1 in the No. 90 PREMA Racing Chevrolet.
Ferrucci and Simpson were among the drivers who started on the primary tires and had just pitted for the third time at the end of Lap 65. Kirkwood, Power, Herta, championship leader Alex Palou and David Malukas of AJ Foyt Racing all pitted under caution at the end of Lap 70, dropping them down the field while Ferrucci assumed the lead after starting 21st.
The restart at the end of Lap 72 also turned the race – and perhaps the championship fight – on its head when Palou’s No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda made hard contact with the barrier in Turn 1 after being tapped in the rear by the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet of Malukas, who received a penalty for avoidable contact.
Palou was out of the race, credited with 25th place, his first result outside of the top three this season and worse result since he finished 27th in 2022 at Road America. Three-time series champion Palou entered the race with five victories in six starts this season, including the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge last Sunday. His points lead was trimmed to 90 over second-place Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren.
On the restart at the end of Lap 76, Kirkwood started fourth but dove under Marcus Armstrong in the No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian in Turn 3 for third on Lap 77. One lap later, Kirkwood passed Simpson for second on the back straightaway, but he slightly misjudged the maneuver, with his left front wing clipping the right rear wheel of Simpson’s car and damaging the wing.
Then on Lap 79, Kirkwood drove under Ferrucci in his favorite passing spot – Turn 3 at the end of the back straight – for a lead he would not relinquish.
But nothing came easily over the last 21 laps.
On Lap 84, a frightening crash between Felix Rosenqvist in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian and rookie Louis Foster in the No. 45 Mi-Jack Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan triggered the last of five caution periods and a red flag for barrier repair that lasted 12 minutes, 25 seconds.
“The car was flawless, and on restarts, man, the car just came alive,” Kirkwood said. “I was actually super comfortable after that red flag came out. I was like, ‘This is going to work out in our favor here.’”
Kirkwood got a great jump on the restart at the end of Lap 89 and was never threatened. Ferrucci dove under Power in Turn 3 on Lap 91 and then parried Herta’s attempts to pass for second numerous times over the last eight laps.
“The stand was amazing,” Ferrucci said of his strategists and engineers. “Perfect strategy. Obviously got lucky with that yellow (on Lap 67), and man, I don’t think I”ve ever been so happy to see a red flag. I was really struggling. I don’t know what I did with the tires, but I couldn’t get them to come back to life.
“Kyle was so fast today. Congratulations to him and his team on this win.”
The race featured 261 on-track passes, a record for this downtown circuit and the second-highest total in the history of the event, including races on Belle Isle.
The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES event is the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline on Sunday evening, June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis.
Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Results
(3) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 100, Running
(21) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(1) Colton Herta, Honda, 100, Running
(8) Will Power, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(19) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 100, Running
(9) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 100, Running
(18) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(4) Christian Lundgaard, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(24) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(15) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(16) Scott Dixon, Honda, 100, Running
(7) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(12) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 100, Running
(2) David Malukas, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(26) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(22) Robert Shwartzman, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(25) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 100, Running
(20) Jacob Abel, Honda, 100, Running
(27) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 98, Running
(11) Graham Rahal, Honda, 97, Running
(14) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 83, Contact
(13) Louis Foster, Honda, 83, Contact
(23) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 82, Mechanical
(10) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 80, Mechanical
(5) Alex Palou, Honda, 72, Contact
(17) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 66, Contact
(6) Rinus VeeKay, Honda, 6, Mechanical
Race Statistics Winner’s average speed: 82.022 mph Time of race: 02:00:20.0264 Margin of victory: 3.5931 seconds Cautions: 5 for 19 laps Lead changes: 12 among 10 drivers
Lap Leaders: Herta, Colton 1 – 11 McLaughlin, Scott 12 – 14 Rasmussen, Christian 15 – 35 Foster, Louis 36 Dixon, Scott 37 – 38 Kirkwood, Kyle 39 – 49 O’Ward, Pato 50 – 52 Rosenqvist, Felix 53 – 54 Kirkwood, Kyle 55 – 69 Power, Will 70 Ferrucci, Santino 71 – 78 Kirkwood, Kyle 79 – 100
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Palou 311, O’Ward 221, Kirkwood 209, Lundgaard 205, Power 175, Rosenqvist 175, Dixon 173, McLaughlin 164, Herta 157, Ferrucci 144, Armstrong 131, Newgarden 126, Malukas 126, Rossi 124, Rahal 115, VeeKay 110, Rasmussen 102, Simpson 97, Ericsson 96, Daly 96, Siegel 93, Shwartzman 79, Robb 78, Foster 76, DeFrancesco 71, Ilott 50, Abel 40, Takuma Sato 36, Helio Castroneves 20, Ed Carpenter 16, Jack Harvey 12, Ryan Hunter-Reay 10, Kyle Larson 6, Marco Andretti 5.
DETROIT (Sunday, June 1, 2025) – Dennis Hauger quickly figured out the best way to avoid potential and real chaos Sunday in the INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix – stay out front.
Pole sitter Hauger, from Norway, led all 45 laps of the race on the streets of downtown Detroit in the No. 28 Rental Group car for his fourth victory in five races this season in the INDYCAR development series. He held off the No. 76 HMD Motorsports car of 2024 series Rookie of the Year Caio Collet by 1.0460 seconds in a one-lap dash for the checkered flag after a restart at the end of Lap 44.
“The tires, they cool down really quickly, so that last lap was sketchy,” Hauger said. “I think I heated up the tires nicely, and we got a good gap after the back straight.
“Super happy with that. We kept it clean, and we got a good win today.”
Hauger expanded his series lead to 38 points over fellow rookie teammate Lochie Hughes, who is the only other driver to win a race this season.
Rookie Juan Manuel Correa earned his career-best finish of third in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports car. His previous best result was 14th in the second race of the Indianapolis road course doubleheader last month.
Series veteran Josh Pierson completed a solid day for HMD Motorsports, which fielded the cars that finished second, third and fourth, with a fourth-place result in the team’s No. 16 machine. Hughes rallied from a late pit stop due to a damaged front wing to round out the top five in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship car.
Just six of the 20 cars in the race finished on the lead lap, as the tight confines of the nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary circuit on the streets of downtown Detroit induced chaos nearly from the green flag.
At the start, Hauger and Hughes raced side by side into the first turn, with Hauger clinging to the top spot. In Turn 4 on the same lap, the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy car of Myles Rowe was sent into a spin due to rear contact from the No. 17 car of teammate Callum Hedge.
That incident spawned a caution period due to a bottleneck that blocked the track and led to an accordion effect of collisions, with nine cars involved and many suffering damage.
Hauger held steady on the restart on Lap 3 and gradually eased away from Hughes and Andretti Global teammate Salvador de Alba in the No. 27 Grupo Indi machine.
De Alba passed Hughes for second place on Lap 5 and stayed within four-tenths of a second of Hauger by Lap 10.
But Hauger expanded his lead to 1.5 seconds by Lap 19 as de Alba, Hughes, Collet and Correa dueled – often side by side – for second through fifth. There was some contact, and the front wings on the cars of Hughes and de Alba were damaged.
The wing damage, which also included rubbing a deep groove into his right front Firestone Firehawk tire, forced de Alba to pit from second place on Lap 24. Hauger had all but checked out up front by then, ahead by 6.5 seconds.
Hughes’ front-wing damage compromised his car’s performance, and Collet passed him for second on Lap 38. Hughes was forced to pit for a front wing change on Lap 39 from third place.
It looked like Hauger was going to canter to the checkered flag, as his lead had reached double digits by Lap 40. But Jordan Missig spun exiting Turn 2 on Lap 41 in the No. 48 Abel Motorsports car, triggering the second and final caution of the race and erasing Hauger’s big lead.
The field lined up for a final restart and one-lap shootout at the end of Lap 44, but Hauger got a big jump at the green and never was threatened by Collet or Correa.
The next INDY NXT by Firestone race is Sunday, June 15 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. It’s the first of four oval races this season for the series.
Jesse Love and the No. 2 Titan Risk Solutions Chevrolet Team Overcome Tight Handling Condition to Finish Eighth at Nashville Superspeedway
Finish: 8th Start: 15th Points: 4th
“We fought a tight balance all night with our No. 2 Titan Risk Solutions Chevrolet. Danny Stockman (crew chief) made good calls, but we just couldn’t get our car free enough early on. The pit crew gained positions on each stop which got us track position when we needed it most. At the end of the race, our car was really good on the long run, and we raced our way back into the top 10 with less than 50 laps to go. To finish eighth is a testament to our Richard Childress Racing team after the handling issues we faced today. We will go back to work and figure out what we can do better.” -Jesse Love
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Continue Top-10 Finishing Streak at Nashville Superspeedway
Finish: 7th Start: 2nd Points: 2nd
“The balance of our No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet went through a lot of changes tonight, but we kept working on it. After starting on the front row, I felt track position was going to be a key and it was. From the drop of the green flag, our car was just too tight. I needed a big swing in the middle of the race, and Chad (Haney, crew chief) made a lot of adjustments to try and loosen the balance up. Nothing seemed to really fix the issue, but I think there are things from the adjustments that we can learn. Overall, we are leaving with another top-10 finish and stage points. We’ll keep digging together.” -Austin Hill
ALMIROLA DELIVERS ANOTHER TOP-10 FINISH AT NASHVILLE Phoenix winner earns fourth top-10 in sixth start this season
NASHVILLE (May 31, 2025) – Aric Almirola led Toyota with a sixth-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday evening.
William Sawalich started from the pole for the first time this season and led the first 37 laps of the race before suffering a spin late in the race. He was scored in 35th.
Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Nashville Superspeedway Race 14 of 33 – 250.04 miles, 188 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, William Bryon* 2nd, Connor Zilisch* 3rd, Nick Sanchez* 4th, Justin Allgaier* 5th, Sammy Smith* 6th, ARIC ALMIROLA 14th, BRANDON JONES 20th, JEFFREY EARNHARDT 26th, TAYLOR GRAY 34th, DEAN THOMPSON 35th, WILLIAM SAWALICH *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 19 Young Life Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
Heck of a battle with Ross Chastain there late. Can you talk about your finish? “Yeah, that was fun. Gosh, I wish that was for the win. It was fun. I love coming back and driving these race cars. We are just off right now. We are working really hard to figure it out, but we are just off. We don’t have whatever the JRM (JR Motorsports) cars have. We are looking for it, for sure, but we can’t find it. They are about a tenth to two tenths better than us at every race track we go to right now. We have work to do, but I have a blast every time I get back in these race cars. I have so much fun. They are so much fun to race. I really enjoy it. Racing with Ross (Chastain) was a lot of fun. He got the better of me on the long run, I just got way too tight.”
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 31 electrified options.
Justin Allgaier redeemed himself from a late loss at Charlotte Motor Speedway a week ago to score a dominant victory in the Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, May 31.
The reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion from Riverton, Illinois, led three times for a race-high 101 of 188 scheduled laps. He started in fourth place, raced up front in the early stages and assumed the lead on Lap 42. Allgaier claimed the first stage victory under caution and dominated the second stage period under green flag conditions. But he lost the lead to Sheldon Creed during a late-race restart with 80 laps remaining.
Following a four-tire pit service during a caution period with nearly 50 laps remaining, Allgaier executed a bold three-wide move on Brandon Jones and teammate Connor Zilisch during the final restart with 48 laps remaining to reassume the top spot. From there, Allgaier weaved through lapped traffic and fended off Zilisch to cruise to his second victory at Music City and third of the 2025 Xfinity campaign.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, rookie William Sawalich notched his second Xfinity career pole position and the first of the 2025 season with a pole-winning lap at 155.152 mph in 30.860 seconds. Joining Sawalich on the front row was Austin Hill, the latter of whom clocked in his best qualifying lap at 154.731 mph in 30.944 seconds.
When the green flag waved and the event commenced, pole-sitter William Sawalich fended off Austin Hill through the frontstretch to muscle ahead and lead the field through the first two turns. Hill, who was locked in a brief side-by-side battle with Sam Mayer through the first two turns, would then muscle ahead through the backstretch and get close to Sawalich’s rear bumper through Turns 3 and 4. Sawalich, however, managed to fend off Hill’s challenge to lead the first lap.
Over the next four laps, Sawalich maintained a steady advantage over Hill while Justin Allgaier tracked down Hill for the runner-up spot. Meanwhile, Mayer retained fourth place ahead of rookie Carson Kvapil while Aric Almirola, Ross Chastain, rookie Nick Sanchez, Sheldon Creed and Ryan Sieg were racing in the top-10 mark ahead of Jesse Love, rookie Christian Eckes, rookie Connor Zilisch, Sammy Smith and Brandon Jones. As Sawalich continued to lead through to the Lap 10 mark, Hill also continued to fend off both Allgaier and Mayer for the runner-up spot.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Sawalich extended his lead to more than a second over Allgaier while Hill, who dropped to third place, trailed by one-and-a-half seconds. By then, Mayer and Chastain were racing in the top five while Almirola, Kvapil, Creed, Sanchez and Ryan Sieg pursued in the top 10.
Ten laps later, Sawalich stabilized his early advantage to more than one-and-half seconds over Allgaier while third-place Hill and fourth-place Mayer both trailed by three seconds. Behind, fifth-place Chastain pursued by five seconds while top-10 racers Almirola, Kvapil, Creed, Sanchez and Jesse Love all trailed by as far back as 11 seconds.
Another five laps later, the event’s first caution flew when both Parker Retzlaff and Kyle Sieg wrecked through Turns 3 and 4. The incident, which started when Sieg got loose and made contact with Retzlaff that sent the latter spinning sideways entering Turn 3, left Retzlaff’s No. 4 Dove MenCare Chevrolet Camaro entry with significant damage as he slapped the outside wall while Sieg, who slid through the turns, managed to continue without sustaining significant damage to his No. 28 Shannon Speck’s Electric Ford Mustang entry.
During the event’s first caution period, nearly the entire field led by Sawalich pitted while the rest that included rookie Daniel Dye, Brandon Jones, Jeremy Clements, Jeb Burton, Matt DiBenedetto and Myatt Snider remained on the track.
With four laps remaining in the first stage period, the event restarted under green. At the start, Dye tried to muscle his No. 10 Race to Stop Suicide Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of Jones from the inside lane through the frontstretch. Dye then got sideways and went wide in front of Jones entering Turn 1, which allowed Jeremy Clements to capitalize and take the lead entering the backstretch. With Matt DiBenedetto also moving up into second place, the field fanned out through the backstretch as Clements led the following lap over DiBenedetto and a hard-charging Allgaier. Allgaier would then use his four fresh tires to zip past DiBenedetto for the lead through the backstretch for the following lap.
Then on the final lap of the first stage period (Lap 44), the caution returned when Corey Day spun his No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry in Turn 2. Day’s incident concluded the first stage period that was initially scheduled to conclude on Lap 45 as Allgaier was awarded his fifth Xfinity stage victory of the 2025 season. Clements followed suit in second ahead of DiBenedetto, Hill and Dye while Creed, Mayer, Kvapil, Brandon Jones and Connor Zilisch were scored in the top 10, respectively.
Under the stage break, some led by Clements and including DiBenedetto, Dye, Ryan Sieg and Jones, all of whom did not pit prior to the first stage’s conclusion, pitted while the rest led by Allgaier remained on the track. Sanchez, Myatt Snider, Blaine Perkins, Jeb Burton, Thomas Annunziata, Kris Wright, Nick Leitz, Logan Bearden, Mason Maggio and Mason Massey would also pit their respective entries.
The second stage period started on Lap 53 as Allgaier and Hill occupied the front row. At the start, Allgaier and Hill dueled for the lead through the frontstretch before Allgaier used the inside lane to power his No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet Camaro entry ahead of Hill through the first two turns. Allgaier would proceed to lead from the backstretch and back to the frontstretch, where he led the following lap while Hill, Creed and Kvapil pursued in single-line formation. Behind, Almirola and Mayer were engaged in a side-by-side battle for fifth place in front of Zilisch and Sammy Smith.
Over the next five laps, Almirola would muscle ahead with fifth place and Zilisch would move into sixth place. Meanwhile, Josh Williams carved his way up to seventh place while Sammy Smith, Chastain and Mayer all fiercely battled for eighth place. Amid the battles, Allgaier stretched his lead to nearly two seconds by Lap 60.
Following another caution period that occurred on Lap 61 due to Blaine Perkins spinning through the frontstretch’s grass due to contact with Thomas Annunziata, the start of the next restart on Lap 65 featured Allgaier using the inside lane to muscle ahead of Hill entering the first two turns for a second consecutive time. As the field fanned out through the backstretch, Creed challenged Hill for the runner-up spot while Taylor Gray, Mayer, Sammy Smith and Chastain nearly battled through four laps within the top 10 entering Turns 3 and 4. Amid the tight racing, every competitor kept their respective entries racing straight as Allgaier led the following lap.
At the Lap 70 mark, Allgaier extended his lead to more than a second over Creed while Hill, Zilisch and Almirola pursued in the top five ahead of Chastain, Kvapil, Mayer, Eckes and Gray, respectively. Behind, Sammy Smith, Dye, Jesse Love, Harrison Burton, Josh Williams, Sawalich, Dean Thompson, Nick Sanchez, DiBenedetto and Ryan Sieg trailed in the top 20 ahead of Brandon Jones, Brennan Poole, Ryan Ellis, Kyle Sieg and Corey Day while Allgaier continued to lead by more than a second over Creed by Lap 75.
By Lap 80, Allgaier added another second to his advantage as he led by two seconds over Creed. Meanwhile, Almirola marched up to third place despite trailing the lead by four seconds and Zilisch was up into fourth place as he trailed the lead by five seconds. Behind, Hill dropped to fifth place despite trailing the lead by five seconds. Hill would then lose fifth place to Chastain during the following lap while Allgaier extended his lead to three seconds at the Lap 85 mark.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 90, Allgaier captured his second consecutive Xfinity stage victory of the event and his sixth of the 2025 season. Creed pursued in second place by two-and-a-half seconds while Almirola, Zilisch, Chastain, Mayer, Hill, Kvapil, Eckes and Daniel Dye were scored in the top 10, respectively.
During the stage break, the entire lead lap field led by Allgaier peeled off the track to pit for service. Following the pit stops, Creed beat Allgaier off of pit road first while Zilisch, Mayer, Almirola, Hill, Kvapil, Gray, Dye and Love followed suit, respectively.
With 90 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Creed and Allgaier occupied the front row. At the start, however, the caution quickly returned when a stack-up at the front of the field triggered both a chain reaction and a multi-car wreck through the frontstretch. The accident occurred as Eckes T-boned into the rear of Harrison Burton, which left Eckes with a crumbled front nose to his No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro entry, while Brandon Jones got bumped by both Corey Day and Ryan Sieg that sent Jones’ No. 20 Menards Toyota Supra spinning. Kyle Sieg, Josh Williams, Ryan Ellis, Anthony Alfredo would also sustain damage to their respective entries as all spun through the frontstretch. At the moment of caution, Creed had maintained the lead over Allgaier while Zilisch, Mayer, Almirola and Hill were in the top six.
The start of the following restart with 80 laps remaining featured Creed using the inside lane to muscle his No. 00 Ollie’s Ford Mustang entry ahead of Allgaier through the first two turns while Zilisch pursued in third place. Behind, Mayer pursued in fourth place ahead of Almirola, Hill and Gray while Kvapil was mixed in a tight battle with Love, Chastain and Daniel Dye for eighth place. Amid the battles within the field, Creed led the following lap and he would continue to lead by a tenth of a second over Zilisch with 70 laps remaining before Zilisch stormed to the top spot a lap later.
With 60 laps remaining, Zilisch retained the lead in his No. 88 Blues Hog Chevrolet Camaro entry by six-tenths of a second over teammate Allgaier while Creed fell back to third place in front of teammate Mayer and Almirola. Six laps later, the caution returned when Sawalich, who was battling teammate Taylor Gray and Sammy Smith for 11th place, ran into the side of Smith in the backstretch and spun his No. 18 Starkey Toyota Supra entry through the backstretch’s infield grass.
Down to the final 48 laps, the event restarted under green as Brandon Jones, who opted for a fuel-only pit service during the previous caution period, shared the front row with Zilisch, the latter of whom was among many who pitted for fresh tires. At the start, Allgaier used his four fresh tires to throw a big three-wide move beneath both Jones and teammate Zilisch through the frontstretch. With Jones quickly slipping back, Allgaier then used the inside lane to muscle ahead of Zilisch and clear him for the lead entering the backstretch. Behind, Creed, Almirola and Mayer all overtook Jones to move into the top five as Allgaier led the following lap.
With 40 laps remaining, Allgaier was leading by a tenth of a second over teammate Zilisch while Creed, Mayer and Almirola pursued in the top five ahead of Chastain, Hill, Dye, Gray and Sammy Smith. Allgaier would proceed to slight stretch his advantage to two-tenths of a second over Zilisch 10 laps later.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Allgaier maintained the lead by three-tenths of a second over teammate Zilisch. Behind, Creed trailed in third place by nearly two seconds while Mayer and Almirola trailed in the top five ahead of Chastain, Hill, Dye, Love and Gray, respectively.
With 10 laps remaining, Allgaier stretched his advantage to eight-tenths of a second over Zilisch. By then, Mayer was racing in third place ahead of teammate Creed and Chastain as Allgaier proceeded to further extend his lead to more than a second with five laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Allgaier remained in the lead by over Zilisch. Despite being mired in traffic, Allgaier was able to smoothly navigate his way around Nashville Superspeedway smoothly for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and claimed his third checkered flag of the 2025 season.
With the victory, Allgaier notched his 38th career win in the Xfinity Series division, his second at Nashville Superspeedway and his first since he won back-to-back races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, respectively, in March. Allgaier’s Nashville victory marked the 12th of the year for the Chevrolet nameplate, the sixth in a row for the manufacturer in recent weeks and the sixth of the 2025 campaign for JR Motorsports, with the organization also six victories away from reaching 100 Xfinity victories overall.
“These [No. 7] guys right here, they deserve this one more than anything,” Allgaier said on the frontstretch on the CW Network. “I screwed them over last week by making a pit call that had equally as good of a car. This Hellmann’s Chevrolet was just absolutely on rails. There’s no cooler feeling than to win at a place like this, Nashville. The fans here are incredible. This race is special to me and I said before the race that I really wanted to get a second [Gibson] guitar for both [of my daughters] to have a guitar. They can fight over both of them or one of them, whatever.”
“I didn’t know what to do [prior to the final restart] and [crew chief] Jim Pohlman standing right over there was the guy,” Allgaier added. “He’s always the one that pushes me to be my best. Eddie D’Hondt, spotter, same [at] just pushing me to be my best. On that restart, I knew that [Brandon Jones] had old tires. I wasn’t sure how good [the race] was going to launch, but I knew at the start/finish line, we had to be able to get to his inside and then just obviously having clean air, being out front, race a lot of fun with Connor [Zilisch] there. I knew whoever of the two of us got out front was going to be the difference maker and ultimately, [it] was us. So, it was a great day.”
Teammate Connor Zilisch notched his second consecutive runner-up result in recent weeks and since returning from a one-race absence due to a lower back injury from a final-lap accident at Talladega Superspeedway in late April. Amid the disappointment of being one position shy of winning for a second consecutive race, Zilisch was still left pleased with his performance and result.
“I thought I might be able to get back by [Allgaier], but clean air was everything,” Zilisch said. “The first 20 laps of a run, if you had the clean air, you were going to prevail on the long run, keeping your stuff cooler and not having to run as hard. Congrats to Justin. He did a really good job executing on that restart. It’s the second week in a row I finished second because of a restart. It’s frustrating. Really happy with the progress we’ve been making. Being frustrated with second’s a good thing.”
Haas Factory Team’s Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed finished third and fourth, respectively, while Ross Chastain secured his second top-five result in his third Xfinity start of the year with JR Motorsports in fifth place.
Aric Almirola, Austin Hill, Jesse Love, rookie Daniel Dye and rookie Carson Kvapil completed the top 10 in the final running order.
Notably, Sammy Smith, Corey Day, Harrison Burton, Brandon Jones and rookie Nick Sanchez finished in the top 15 while rookie Taylor Gray, who was initially poised for a top-20 result, dropped to 26th place in the final running order after he had light smoke billowing out of his No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota Supra entry in the closing laps.
There were eight lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 39 laps. In addition, 20 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the 14th event of the 2025 Xfinity Series season, Justin Allgaier leads the regular-season standings by 92 points over Austin Hill, 111 over Sam Mayer, 151 over Jesse Love and 189 over Connor Zilisch.
Results:
1. Justin Allgaier, 101 laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner 2. Connor Zilisch, 18 laps led 3. Sam Mayer 4. Sheldon Creed, 25 laps led 5. Ross Chastain 6. Aric Almirola 7. Austin Hill 8. Jesse Love 9. Daniel Dye, three laps led 10. Carson Kvapil 11. Sammy Smith 12. Corey Day 13. Harrison Burton 14. Brandon Jones, three laps led 15. Nick Sanchez 16. Jeb Burton 17. Brennan Poole 18. Josh Williams 19. Jeremy Clements, one lap led 20. Jeffrey Earnhardt 21. Thomas Annunziata, one lap down 22. Ryan Sieg, one lap down 23. Myatt Snider, one lap down 24. Logan Bearden, one lap down 25. Mason Massey, one lap down 26. Taylor Gray, one lap down 27. Kyle Sieg, one lap down 28. Nick Leitz, one lap down 29. Mason Maggio, one lap down 30. Anthony Alfredo, one lap down 31. Blaine Perkins, one lap down 32. Kris Wright, one lap down 33. Matt DiBenedetto, two laps down 34. Dean Thompson, four laps down 35. William Sawalich – OUT, Engine, 37 laps led 36. Christian Eckes – OUT, Accident 37. Ryan Ellis – OUT, Accident 38. Parker Retzlaff – OUT, Accident
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ return to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, Mexico, for The Chilango 150. The event is scheduled to occur on June 14 and air at 4:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
Kalitta continues to roll in qualifying; Prock and C. Coughlin also take No. 1 spots at New England Dragway
EPPING, N.H. (May 31, 2025) – Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta continued an incredible qualifying run on Saturday at New England Dragway, keeping Kalitta Motorsports undefeated in Top Fuel in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a victory over Tony Stewart, setting the track speed record and also qualifying No. 1 for the fourth straight race at the 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge as well, while Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Cody Coughlin (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the seventh of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Kalitta Motorsports’ Top Fuel duo of Kalitta and Langdon have now won all six Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge bonus races in 2025, with Kalitta taking his fourth victory of the year after going 3.670-seconds at 337.24 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. It also sent him back to the No. 1 spot for the fourth straight race and the fifth time in seven races during what was the latest spectacular showing in qualifying.
Kalitta’s massive speed set the track record as well, as the veteran looks to win in Epping for the second straight year and pick up his first 2025 event victory as well.
“(Crew chief) Alan Johnson and the guys have been doing a great job. The car left straight and felt great, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” Kalitta said. “We’ve been qualifying really well. I’m looking for a great Sunday.
“This Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge is a great idea. It gives fans something exciting to watch and it’s fun for us too. It’s a little like sprint car racing where you’re racing every day. I’m definitely having fun with all of this. Let’s keep it up.”
Stewart, who has won back-to-back races to move into the points lead, is second with a 3.694 at 330.55 and reigning world champion Antron Brown is third after going 3.697 at 337.07.
In Funny Car, the John Force Racing duo of Jack Beckman and Austin Prock dominated qualifying, with Beckman claiming the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory over Matt Hagan and Prock holding on to the No. 1 qualifier spot.
Beckman, who won the most recent event in Chicago, went 3.913 at 316.52 to get his second win in the specialty race this season in his 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS. Beckman continues to roll since taking over driving duties for defending event winner John Force, and he’s thrilled to get a chance to race at New England Dragway.
Beckman was also impressed with the job his team did on Saturday in Epping.
“This was one of the wildest Saturdays I’ve ever been part of. We had to do a full engine change before (the final) round, no warm-up, just bolt it in and go,” Beckman said. “The crew thrashed, I had to hang out by the car to make up time for Matt, and we got it fired. I didn’t even know if we’d get it done today, but it looks cool as hell now. The Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge gives us a race within qualifying, and that adds so much more meaning.
“This place is as cool as it gets. Austin’s team makes it look easy. What both our crews did today, it’s awe-inspiring. I’m a huge historian of this sport and it means the world to be part of it like this.”
Nobody could touch Prock’s 3.860 at 331.69 from Friday in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS, though the points leader came close with a 3.867 to close out qualifying. That was a solid sign for Prock, who picked up his second No. 1 of the season and the 20th in his career. He’ll open eliminations against Buddy Hull as the defending world champion looks for his third win of the year.
“We went out there and laid down another strong run. That’s two No. 1 qualifiers in a row for us and we’re just getting started,” said Prock, who set a Funny Car record a year ago with 15 No. 1 qualifiers. “There’s still more on the table. If we need to push it harder, I believe there’s more in this car. I’ve always said, all I ever wanted to do was drive a Funny Car. Then all I wanted was to line up against John Force like my grandfather did. Now I’m doing it at this level with this team – it’s surreal.”
Bob Tasca III qualified second with a 3.891 at 335.40 and Paul Lee’s 3.891 at 329.18 gave him the third spot.
Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford is in the midst of his own impressive streak in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, winning for the third time in four races in the specialty event by defeating Dave Connolly with a run of 6.557 at 207.88 in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday.
It also gives Hartford a class-best 13 bonus championship points thus far, which will translate nicely for the veteran in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. He’ll look to double-up on Sunday and win for first time in 2025 in what has been a resounding bounce back year for Hartford.
“Anytime you’re racing Dave Connolly, you know you’re lining up against one of the best Pro Stock drivers ever. He’s proved it over and over again,” Hartford said. “We were both running KB (Titan Racing) power, so it came down to who did a better job on the track. I’m proud to say that today, our team did. It’s a testament to our crew, our prep, and our execution.
“We’ve got 13 Mission points now — that’s over half a round heading into the Countdown. Every point counts. We know Greg (Anderson) and Dallas (Glenn) are out front right now in regular season points, but once they reset in Indy, we want to be right there with them.”
The first career No. 1 qualifier is official for rookie Cody Coughlin, as Friday’s 6.537 at 210.28 in his Cody Coughlin Construction Chevrolet Camaro stood up on Saturday. It marked a special moment for the driver just six races into his NHRA career and he’ll look to build on that during eliminations on Sunday. Coughlin opens raceday against Brandon Miller.
“This is only my sixth drag race ever, so to earn my first No. 1 qualifier award already is really special,” Coughlin said. “Coming from the circle track world, I never expected this would be easy. The KB Titan group builds rocket ships, and the level of competition out here is intense, even among teams using the same power. You have to do everything right to make a run like that, and I’m just proud we were able to put those numbers on the board. I hope this is just the beginning of more good things to come this year.”
Defending world champ Anderson qualified second thanks to a 6.537 at 209.95 and points leader Glenn is third after going 6.539 at 210.28.
Eliminations for the New England Nationals begin at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday at New England Dragway.
EPPING, N.H. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, the seventh 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. Doug Kalitta, 3.670 seconds, 337.24 mph vs. Bye; 2. Tony Stewart, 3.694, 330.55 vs. 15. Rit Pustari, 9.724, 75.76; 3. Antron Brown, 3.697, 337.07 vs. 14. Mike Bucher, 5.236, 131.96; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.702, 334.24 vs. 13. Scott Farley, 4.139, 224.14; 5. Brittany Force, 3.703, 336.40 vs. 12. Clay Millican, 3.860, 293.79; 6. Shawn Langdon, 3.716, 334.48 vs. 11. Dan Mercier, 3.761, 329.18; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.717, 336.99 vs. 10. Josh Hart, 3.753, 329.18; 8. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.741, 330.55 vs. 9. Steve Torrence, 3.746, 335.07.
Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.860, 334.48 vs. 16. Buddy Hull, Dodge Charger, 4.190, 309.70; 2. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.891, 335.40 vs. 15. Phil Burkart, Ford Mustangh, 4.140, 303.30; 3. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.891, 329.18 vs. 14. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.022, 317.49; 4. Blake Alexander, Charger, 3.899, 328.70 vs. 13. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.953, 326.32; 5. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.908, 326.87 vs. 12. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.952, 291.63; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.909, 331.77 vs. 11. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.928, 329.91; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.909, 329.83 vs. 10. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.922, 329.75; 8. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 3.911, 328.70 vs. 9. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.920, 329.83.
Pro Stock — 1. Cody Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.537, 210.28 vs. 16. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.658, 205.63; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.537, 209.95 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.623, 207.91; 3. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.539, 210.60 vs. 14. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.596, 208.36; 4. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.543, 208.81 vs. 13. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.595, 208.88; 5. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.549, 209.59 vs. 12. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.594, 207.59; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.555, 209.46 vs. 11. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.582, 208.14; 7. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.558, 209.01 vs. 10. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.566, 208.46; 8. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.564, 208.65 vs. 9. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.565, 209.26.
EPPING, N.H. — Saturday’s final results from the 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway. The race is the seventh of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
Pro Stock Challenge — Matt Hartford, Chevy Camaro, 6.557, 207.88 def. Dave Connolly, Camaro, 6.567, 208.36.
Funny Car Challenge — Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.913, 316.52 def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.920, 329.83.
Top Fuel Challenge — Doug Kalitta, 3.670 seconds, 337.24 mph def. Tony Stewart, 3.694 seconds, 330.55 mph.
EPPING, N.H. — Final round-by-round results from the 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway, the seventh of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Tony Stewart, 3.727, 329.75 def. Steve Torrence, 7.263, 76.72; Doug Kalitta, 3.724, 327.51 def. Justin Ashley, 4.268, 196.02;
FINAL — D. Kalitta, 3.670, 337.24 def. T. Stewart, 3.694, 330.55.
FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 4.132, 234.29 def. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 4.707, 172.54; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.451, 195.31 def. Austin Prock, 5.399, 171.23;
FINAL — J. Beckman, 3.913, 316.52 def. M. Hagan, 3.920, 329.83.
PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:
ROUND ONE — Dave Connolly, Chevy Camaro, 6.558, 207.82 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 11.856, 73.91; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.580, 209.46 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, Foul – Red Light;
FINAL — M. Hartford, 6.557, 207.88 def. D. Connolly, 6.567, 208.36.
Garcia, Sims, No. 3 Corvette go from eighth to second in GTD PRO after wild street race
DETROIT (May 31, 2025) – Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims led the way home for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports on Saturday with an inspired drive to second place from eighth on the GTD PRO grid of the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic.
The No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R squad made its way from eighth at the start to an improbable runner-up result in a chaotic 100-minute race at the 1.654-mile, nine-turn street circuit around GM’s global headquarters.
It marked the second consecutive podium finish and third of the season for the Sims and Garcia – they also finished second in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. More importantly, the two gained 40 points in the fight for the GTD PRO Drivers championship races heading into the summer stretch for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Teammates Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg weathered early contact that seemingly undid their race, but the No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R managed to claw back from 10th in class after five minutes to sixth at the end.
Garcia took the start in the No. 3 Corvette and moved up to fourth for the majority of his 30-minute stint. He stopped from the class lead, and the team lost only two spots after taking fuel and a mighty outlap for Sims. He moved up into second when the then-class leader had to make its second stop of the race and set out for the win.
Sims set the fastest lap of the race a couple of laps into his stint and got to within a half-second of the class-winning car before taking the checkered flag in second.
Meanwhile, Catsburg ran as high as fifth as the race’s second and final full-course yellow bunched up the field for the final 30 minutes. The team took advantage of the late yellow to make its final pit stop, which put Catsburg back to seventh in GTD PRO. He appeared set for a top-five finish until he and the No. 77 Porsche were assessed dual drive-through penalties for late-race contact while fighting for position.
The next race in IMSA for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 22 from Watkins Glen International.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTES
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I think we played it very well. It is difficult to stay calm and make the moves and so on. But yeah, I just tried to be smart. Probably at times I lost positions, but then I got them back and from that point on, I think I knew how to play it, so saving fuel, and relying on all the practice we did in the pits. So I think that’s where we really jumped everyone also on the stop. It’s a shame that we were behind the 64 for over an hour. We couldn’t really pass that car so that’s a long time following that one. But after all that happened yesterday, I think we can be happy with this. Alex did great, the team was great and the Corvette was great. Thanks to everybody.”
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “If I’m perfectly honest, no, I didn’t think this sort of result would be possible with a relatively normal strategy. But people fell off all around us. We gained a few positions on the pit stop, we had good pace in clear air, anyway. And it worked out for us this time. It’s impossible to overtake the Ford, but we had the car underneath us. Our Corvette was really working well around the streets here in Detroit. And yeah, after the pit stop I took some big risks to try to get the laptime on the outlap in case we needed to jump people on the stop, which we ended up doing so it paid off. for sure. It all worked out well. I couldn’t ask for much more. The team did a great job. The Corvette felt nice. Thanks to Pratt Miller and everyone on the team.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “A typical street race and a place where it’s hard to pass. We got roughed up a little bit right at the start, and then got roughed up again the next corner after that. Obviously, we had a little issue with the bumper, which of course, doesn’t affect the driving but we knew what to expect at that point. But frustrating for sure. It really didn’t have a massive effect on our race in reality… not good for it, for sure, but that was one of the strategies that we actually discussed – basically pitting very early. So we kind of had a plan for that anyway.
“At the end, Nicky and the Corvette were certainly fast, no doubt about it. I can only imagine what Nicky feels like. I know he had some frustration built up. But it’s street racing. Everybody gives a little bit. Sometimes you take a little bit, sometimes you give a bit more than you take. It’s just kind of how it goes sometimes. Obviously, we’re fighting hard to get a good result for ourselves but obviously our car needs to be in better shape than what it has been in the last couple of races. I think that’ll be our plan going forward – just focusing on having a clean race and hoping that that’s the key to our success.”
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We tried and we fought hard again. But today, it wasn’t meant to be for us. I think we had good pace in the car. We showed it all race. I tried quite hard with the Porsche but I couldn’t pass him. We got together so yeah, we were racing hard… a little bit too hard, but that happens. That’s part of it. And you race each other the same way. I’m happy for the sister car that they got their good result. And I think honestly, we should have been there as well.”
Corvette Racing high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
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.
Toyota GAZOO Racing – Chase Briscoe NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
NASHVILLE (May 31, 2025) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
This is Chase Briscoe’s second straight pole and third this season (Daytona, Charlotte).
With Briscoe, William Sawalich (Xfinity) and Corey Heim (Trucks – set by the rule book) on the poles for this weekend’s races – Toyota has swept the NASCAR national series pole positions for the second straight weekend.
CHASE BRISCOE, No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
What does it mean to win two straight poles?
“I guess it was a good enough lap. Alan Cavanna (PRN) was asking me right before I went out what it takes to run a perfect lap here and I said I don’t know. I think the best I’ve ever qualified here was like 20th. It was a surprise. I felt like it was a good lap. I definitely felt like I left a little bit on the table, but I felt like it was a smooth, clean lap and I felt like for sure it was going to be a top-five lap, but it was a surprise that it was as fast as it was. It is nice to start on the pole two weeks in a row. Hopefully, we can do better tomorrow than we did last week, but certainly, this track is very, very track position dependent, so to able to start on the pole is going to be a huge advantage for us. Hopefully, we can hold that advantage.”
Where did you fish with Kevin VanDam?
“We actually went to Luke Bryan’s place which was ridiculous. Just to fish with Kevin VanDam – I was telling people, it is like playing catch with Tom Brady. He is literally the greatest of all time, so to be able to go fish with Kevin, and obviously with the Bass Pro connection, it is just super, super cool. We probably caught 60 to 70 something fish, and a couple seven pounders, which is a personal best for me. It was just a super, super cool day and hopefully, can fish with Kevin a lot more. I told him that hopefully I didn’t use up all of my luck on Thursday and Friday fishing with him, but so far it seems to still be there.”
Was it all bass?
“Yeah, all bass.”
How did you feel about your car in race trim?
“I thought my car in race trim could have been better for sure. I knew that I was behind the 9 (Chase Elliott), the 11 (Denny Hamlin), the 45 (Tyler Reddick) – the 11 was definitely better than me, especially on the long runs specifically, but I thought my car was a top-10 car. I didn’t think it was good enough to win, per say, if we had to race today. We definitely need to make some adjustments on it, but it was at least in the mix. I needed to be a little bit better to be what the 11 was, or even the 12 (Ryan Blaney) or the 45. Hopefully, that track position will help that, and also, we will make our car better. It has been a place that hasn’t been great to me. I kind of just don’t fully know what I need. I’m always searching here, and talking to Denny after practice, I felt like I learned some stuff, so hopefully I can put it all together tomorrow.”
Are the temperatures the reason for the new track record?
“Every year the teams get better, so that is one reason right? I don’t know if the left side tires or the tires were any different. I have no idea, but I definitely think the weather being a little cooler – I don’t think I ever remember qualifying this late here either, so I don’t know if that has something to do with it. I think a lot of it is just the teams get better and better and understand what they need to do to make their cars faster. I don’t know how much the track record was before, but it certainly seems like almost everywhere we go anymore we are a little bit faster between car setup and even the engines, right? They are constantly gaining a couple horsepower every time we go back. It is a multitude of things.”
What is the difficulty of Nashville?
“Truthfully, this is one of those places that your car is so important just from a car capability. In the past here, truthfully, my car just hasn’t been very good. It is just on top of the race track, not doing what you want it to do. I say it all of the time, but (Kevin) Harvick used to say – you can’t drive a slow car, fast. I came here today, and my first lap of practice – it was the best driving car of my life here. It just drives better, has better grip, turns better, goes faster. It just makes my job way easier. Honestly, I think that is a lot of it. For whatever reason, at SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing), we just struggled really, really bad here. This is one of those tracks that I feel like you can’t really get a lot more out of it. Whatever it is, is what it is. You might be able to pick up a couple of positions, but you are not going to go from a 25th place car to leading the race. Just comes all down to car at this level, to a certain extent. I’m in, arguably, one of the best cars every single week, so it makes my job a lot easier.”
What do you do tonight to make this car better tomorrow?
“I will just tell him, typically, where I feel like I’m losing time. A lot of the time, where I think I’m losing time, is not where I’m losing the most time, and they are like, well I think we need to look at this or work on that. In between James (Small, crew chief) and the engineers – we will all look at data and try to understand, okay, where is the best car better than us at and what do we need to do different to make our car better there. James and the 19 team have a pretty good understanding kind of every week of what they need to do from Saturday to Sunday, obviously, that changes based on where you qualify and your track position. Last week was a great example, we set up our car to be up front all day long, and when you have a bad pit stop, it puts you behind. Your car doesn’t drive very good back there, so after last week, I don’t know if we will go full blown for clean air setup but definitely leave it up to James and the engineers. I’ll give them kind of my input on the car, but they have been doing it way longer than I have an understanding on what I need.”
How does having a better car impact your preparation each week?
“One thing is the team itself is so much better prepared and understanding going into the weekend, like here’s the things you need to look at. It has simplified my life a lot. I’m not looking at 100 different things. It is here is 10 things you need to focus on going into this week. This is how the car should drive this week. This is the perfect way to drive it, and then for me, I can go look at what the other cars are doing, where in the past, I can go look at the best cars, but my car is not going to do that, so it is kind of irrelevant. Where now, I think the biggest thing for me these last couple of weeks, is finally just the understanding on how hard I can push this car and what is it absolutely able to take. The first 10 races of the year, I would always underdrive in qualifying because the car’s capability is so much more than anything I’ve ever ran, where now I’m finally getting to the other side of it, where – even today, I didn’t feel like I got 100 percent potential out of it, but I felt like I was at least at 95 percent, where earlier in the year, I felt like I was at 80 percent. It is just all of those things coming together where the results have been way, way better.”
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 31 electrified options.
