Toyota GAZOO Racing – Riley Herbst NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
LAS VEGAS (March 15, 2025) – 23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
RILEY HERBST, No. 35 SunnyD Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
What has been the adjustment period been like from Xfinity to Cup?
“It has been a lot of fun honestly. I feel like it has gone okay the first three weeks as well. Just some solid finishes. Obviously, last week was unfortunate, but the jump is tremendous, and everyone tells you about it. It is one of those things that you don’t really know until you experience it, but I’ve felt like I’ve surrounded myself with really good people at 23XI and really good mentors with Denny (Hamlin), Tyler (Reddick) and Bubba (Wallace). I’ve felt like we’ve came out of the gates in good shape, and I was pleased with our results and how we were running. Last week was unfortunate like I said – this week is going to be another challenge with a mile-and-a-half, but it will be fun. I’m taking it in stride each week and trying to enjoy each week and everything new about it. It has been a lot of fun these last two months getting to know everybody and just get my feet underneath me. Hopefully, we will continue to build a good foundation.”
What are your goals for the rest of the season?
“The biggest thing is to finish the race. You don’t get any points if you don’t finish. I think that is what kind of put us in a big hole from this past weekend at Phoenix, but quite honestly, I don’t think anyone is micromanaging the points by any means. That is not our objective. Our objective to get better each week and run more competitive each week. We fall where we we fall. Nobody is too considered about the point standings four weeks in by any means. I’ve got a progress check where we need to be, where we need to be better, where we need to excel and where we need to pick up the pace a little bit. I think there is some checked boxes that we’ve excelled at, and there are some areas that we need to improve on as well. I think it was a good four weeks to get our test results back and try to set ourselves up for a solid run until the Easter break.”
How important is it to you to have Vegas on the NASCAR schedule?
“It is awesome. I think Las Vegas is such a big and unique town. There’s so many different things to do. I think the racing culture has grown tremendously, honestly, with myself and Noah Gragson growing up racing at the Bullring too. That is really cool, and now with the Formula 1 race, a lot of more motorheads are starting to come out to Las Vegas and be from Las Vegas which is cool. Just the presence that Las Vegas Motor Speedway has in the NASCAR calendar – the race in the fall is huge because, I think, that can lock yourself in the final four. It’s really cool that NASCAR promotes Las Vegas – my home city, which means so much to me. Hopefully it continues to grow, and like you said, we get more short tracks, more dirt tracks on the West Coast and no more of them shutting down.”
How many friends or family members do you have coming to the race this weekend?
“It is cool. It is honestly one of those take a step back moments for a lot of people in the field. It’s the first mile-and-a-half race of the year, and the end of the West Coast swing – really excited to get back to Charlotte, but for me, I used to camp on motorhome hill. I used to go to the bridges and watch the hauler parade, so it is kind of like a full circle moment for myself. To race a Cup car at my home track is a dream that I’ve had forever, and it’s really special. Just trying to enjoy the moment and take it all in before we head out to the less unique tracks for me, I guess personally. It is a really cool moment for myself and my family, and to share it with Noah (Gragson) is pretty special as well.”
We are headed to Homestead next weekend. Where do you prefer to run there? “So my kind of new thing is to throw all of the stats, every result at every race track, in the previous – because this race car is so different than anything I’ve ever driven, so it is kind of hard to look back on history and hope that it repeats itself going forward, but for your question on where to run, I think Homestead is such a cool race track because it is starting to wear more and more. The bumps are getting bigger in (turns) three and four but running along the fence is a lot of fun. The bottom, when your race car is really good, is a lot of fun as well, because you can go into clean air. You just have to hook the line. That race track is awesome. I like the rectangle shape of it, rather than the d-shaped oval. It is very unique. Good race track, great weather and good fans, so looking forward to it.”
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.
NIECE MOTORSPORTS NCTS RACE RECAP: LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY Event: Ecosave 200 (134 laps / 201 miles) Round: 3 of 25 (Regular Season) Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Date & Time: Friday, March 14 | 9:30 PM ET
No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team battled to a respectable finish in the cold Las Vegas desert. Qualifying 24th, Mills would stay put in the same position to end stage one. As the night progressed, Mills climbed to 20th in stage two after adjustments were made. In the final run to the checkered flag, he was able to gain additional track position, completing the race in 16th-place.
Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Overall a decent day in Las Vegas. 16th isn’t too bad compared to last year how we started the season when we came back to the hauler on jack stands. So it’s definitely a better night for us. We just fought a free-handling truck early on and over-adjusted on it. The track changed a lot with the weather and rain coming in. We ultimately just ended the race too tight, but we picked up some spots at the end and can work on it before we go to Homestead. Thank you to J.F. Electric and Utilitra for their support of our team.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
Key Takeaway: Bayley Currey and the No. 44 team showed speed early on in Las Vegas, but were hindered by damage sustained in a stack-up on a restart. Currey qualified the highest out of the team in 19th, and finished inside the top-15 in both stages. Following the incident, the pit crew made their best efforts in repairing the damage to the front end of his Silverado, rallying back to 18th.
Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Man, I wish there was something that I could have done to avoid getting all that damage on the front of our Masked Owl / DQS Chevy because we had so much potential tonight. Restarts in the Truck Series are so tough because we know it’s so important to capitalize on them, and when everyone stacks up like that, there’s just nowhere to go. I hate it for our team but I’m thankful they were able to work on it to keep us in the running at the end.”
About Masked Owl Technologies: Masked Owl Technologies (MOT) is an industrial solutions integrator specializing in developing customized automation and controls processes. They take a consulting-based approach to identify the root cause of system challenges and incorporate tested, emerging technology into industrial solutions that mitigate risk and solve complex problems, the first time.
About DQS Solutions & Staffing: Guided by a mission to achieve excellence and adaptability, DQS partners with clients to create custom solutions that address unique business challenges. Recognized as Michigan’s fastest-growing company and #22 in the nation on the Inc. 5000 list, DQS drives industry growth while giving back through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.
No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing / DealBadger Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Key Takeaway: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had several thrilling moments to add to the highlight reel in Las Vegas. Starting in 22nd, Honeycutt moved up to 14th in stage one. The team was resilient in stage two, capturing two points by finishing ninth. However, on the pit stop, a penalty forced the No. 45 to start at the tail end of the line. Without much hesitation, Honeycutt vaulted back into the top-10 quickly, and avoided near disaster with a brilliant save in turn four. After overcoming these issues, the team would end the night in 12th.
Kaden Honeycutt’s Post-Race Thoughts: “The No. 45 guys did an amazing job tonight. We had a really fast AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado, and I definitely thought we had a better truck than a 12th-place finish. The last restart didn’t go our way, and I made a mistake by letting someone get to my outside which put us pretty far back. But, to make it back up to 12th, that’s pretty good. I’ll work on cleaning up some mistakes to get better and move onto more tracks like this to keep having good runs like tonight.” About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2025, the team celebrates its 10th consecutive season competing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) where it fields the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45. Since its founding in 2016, Niece Motorsports has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 190+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a trusted build shop for the Chevrolet Silverados of multiple NCTS teams as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.
Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).
HEIM WINS SECOND RACE OF THE SEASON IN LAS VEGAS Tanner Gray earns season-best third-place finish
LAS VEGAS (March 14, 2025) – Corey Heim made it two victories in three races to kick off the NASCAR Truck Series season as he won a twice rain-delayed race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday evening. The Toyota Development Driver scored lucky win number 13 in the Truck Series in Sin City as he added to his growing Playoff point total.
Heim’s teammate Tanner Gray had an impressive run through the field in the final stage to finish a season-best third, while Stewart Friesen followed his runner-up finish in Atlanta with a solid sixth-place run this evening.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) Las Vegas Motor Speedway Race 3 of 23 – 201 Miles, 134 Laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, COREY HEIM 2nd, Grant Enfinger* 3rd, TANNER GRAY 4th, Ty Majeski* 5th, Layne Riggs* 6th, STEWART FRIESEN 15th, GIO RUGGIERO 21st, TONI BREIDINGER 22nd, WILLIAM SAWALICH *non-Toyota driver
Another win, but it didn’t come without adversity. What does it mean to you to bring wins to this organization?
“It feels amazing. Circumstantially, we had a tough day – I don’t think any of it was our own doing, except what I did myself. Great job by our Safelite Tundra TRD Pro team. TRICON Garage – everyone did such a great job. Everything they could control they kept under control – like I said, a speeding penalty, that was my bad. Nail in our front tire, that was just circumstantial. Very thankful for those guys. Very thankful for Toyota for all of their hard work and support. This is just the beginning. I think we are going to have a really good 2025 campaign, and kicking it off the right way, winning two out of three.”
What were the biggest challenges you faced coming through the field tonight?
“You just never know how people are going to race you for the most part. A lot of people left me good lanes and worked with me for the most part. I think as we went, I think people realized we were the best truck and started helping me out a little bit, which is nice too. You never know. We don’t typically qualify well at these type of tracks, so kind of being in the mid pack and trying to get back through there, you never know when someone is going to slip up and wreck in front of you. Always kind of have your fingers crossed when you start the race but had to do it twice today coming from the back. Couldn’t make it tougher for ourselves, but glad that we could pull out the win.”
TANNER GRAY, No. 15 Victoria’s Voice Foundation Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 3rd
What more did you need tonight?
“I just got too tight there at the end of the run. I think I just kind of burnt it up coming from the rear. I just didn’t do a good enough job when I got to Corey (Heim) getting around him. I thought I was definitely better – didn’t make the right lane choices when it mattered. I feel like if I could have gotten out front – maybe I wouldn’t have had to push it as hard and burnt it up. Just lack of experience racing up front. I felt like I didn’t do a good enough job, but really proud of everyone from TRICON Garage. They brought a really fast Victoria’s Voice Tundra TRD Pro, yeah, just wish I could have a few of those decisions back and done some things different. All-in-all, really proud of everybody. We’ve fought a lot of adversity today, and didn’t have the cleanest race, but came out with a good finish.”
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.
Corey Heim weathered through two rain delays, cold temperatures and endless on-track actions from start to finish to earn a raw, hard-fought NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in the Ecosave 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 14.
The 22-year-old Heim from Marietta, Georgia, led six times for a race-high 42 of 134-scheduled laps in an event where he started in 16th place and quickly carved his way to the front as he notched a top-five result at the first stage’s conclusion. Despite getting penalized for speeding on pit road during the first stage’s break period, Heim would then withstand a total of two red flag periods due to on-track precipitation to muscle his way back to the front as he claimed another top-five result at the second stage’s conclusion.
With a fast race truck and solid pit services from his No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota team that enabled him to exit pit road first during a majority of pit services under caution, Heim, who led for the first time prior to the start of the final stage period, assumed the lead from Layne Riggs for the sixth and final time with 32 laps remaining. Heim’s final move to the lead occurred amid a late-race shootout with 34 laps remaining. He then fended off late challenges from teammate Tanner Gray and Grant Enfinger in the closing laps to notch his second victory of the 2025 season in Sin City.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Corey Day achieved his first Truck pole position of his career with a pole-winning lap at 177.702 mph in 30.388 seconds. Joining Day on the front row was Tyler Ankrum, who qualified with his best qualifying lap at 177.602 mph in 30.405 seconds.
Prior to the event, Layne Riggs and Nathan Byrd started at the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective trucks.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Corey Day and Tyler Ankrum dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Justin Haley drove to the rear bumper of teammate Day and gave the latter a push. This allowed Day to muscle his No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST entry ahead of Ankrum as Haley followed suit. With teammate Rajah Caruth also making his way into the top-three mark, Haley then made his move beneath Day in a bid for an early lead. Day would use the outside lane through the final two turns to fight back, but Haley would lead the first lap by a nose.
Shortly after, a three-wide action for the lead ensued as Ankrum rocketed to the lead after going beneath Haley and Day entering the first two turns. In the ensuing effect, the field fanned out to three lanes as Haley dropped to third while Day pursued Ankrum for the lead. As Ankrum led the second lap, Day and Jake Garcia followed suit while Haley was being overtaken by Ty Majeski for fourth place. Ankrum would proceed to lead to the fifth lap mark ahead of Day as Majeski challenged teammate Garcia for third place.
Through the first 10-scheduled laps, Ankrum fended off Day and Majeski to lead by two-tenths of a second while Garcia and rookie Giovanni Ruggiero followed suit in the top five. Meanwhile, Stewart Friesen, Corey Heim, Haley, Matt Crafton, Chandler Smith and Rajah Caruth were racing in the top 10 ahead of Tanner Gray, Matt Crafton, Dawson Sutton, Ben Rhodes and Connor Mosack while Kaden Honeycutt, Daniel Hemric, Bayley Currey, Grant Enfinger and Layne Riggs followed suit in the top 20, respectively.
A lap later, Day made a move to the outside of Ankrum as he led a lap for himself. Ankrum, however, would then muscle back ahead as he used the inside lane to his advantage while Day maintained his line on the outside lane as he continued to mount a charge for the lead. As William Sawalich pitted under green due to scrubbing the wall, Majeski, Garcia and Friesen followed suit in the top five while Heim and Ruggiero kept pace in the top-seven mark.
At the Lap 20 mark, Majeski, who overtook Day for the lead three laps earlier after Day, who had overtaken Ankrum for the lead, got loose in Turn 3, was leading by three-tenths of a second over Ankrum as Day fell back to third place. Majeski proceeded to stretch his advantage to seven-tenths of a second over Ankrum by Lap 25 while third-place Day trailed by more than two seconds. Meanwhile, Heim and Friesen were in the top five while Garcia, Haley, Chandler Smith, Ruggiero and Caruth were in the top 10.
Then a lap later, the event’s first caution flew due to a light mist and precipitation falling on the track. With the field remaining on the track and the caution period being extended to the first stage’ conclusion period scheduled for Lap 30, Majeski coasted to his first Truck stage victory of the 2025 season. Ankrum followed suit in second ahead of Day, Heim and Friesen while Jake Garcia, Haley, Chandler Smith, Ruggiero and Caruth were scored in the top 10, respectively.
Under the stage break, the field led by Majeski peeled off the track to pit road for a first round of pit service. Following the pit stops, Ben Rhodes exited pit road first after he opted for only a two-tire pit stop. He was followed by Heim, Ankrum, Day, Haley, Majeski, Friesen, Caruth, Luke Fenhaus, Dawson Sutton and Tanner Gray. Amid the pit stops, Heim was sent to the tail of the field due to speeding on pit road.
As the field cycled around the track under a cautious pace following the pit stops, the field led by Rhodes was directed back to pit road and the event was placed in a red flag period due to the continuous precipitation. Fifty-five minutes later, the field returned under a cautious pace as the track was dried from the precipitation. As the field returned to the track, Matt Crafton was sent to the tail end of the field due to unapproved adjustments that were made to his No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 entry during the red flag period.
When the race resumed under green to commence the second stage period on Lap 37, Ben Rhodes muscled his No. 99 TSPORT Ford F-150 entry away from the field from the inside lane and he would proceed to lead through the backstretch as Haley and Ankrum gave chase. Then exiting the backstretch, Ankrum, who restarted on the front row alongside Rhodes, darted his No. 18 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado RST entry to the left and beneath Rhodes as he rocketed to the lead. Ankrum would clear Rhodes entering Turn 4 and lead the following lap as the field behind jostled for spots. As Rhodes retained the runner-up spot ahead of Day, Chandler Smith, Majeski, Friesen and Haley, Ankrum led the Lap 40 mark.
Through Lap 45, a series of on-track battles towards the front, which had brewed since the start of the restart, continued to ensue as Ankrum maintained a steady advantage over Rhodes, Chandler Smith, Friesen and Day. Behind, Garcia, Haley, Caruth, Majeski and Tanner Gray followed suit in the top 10 while Kaden Honeycutt, Bayley Currey, Enfinger, Hemric and Heim occupied the top-15 spots.
Five laps later, the top-three competitors were separated by half a second as Ankrum retained the lead while Rhodes and Chandler Smith pursued. Chandler Smith would then overtake Rhodes for the runner-up spot another lap later as fourth-place Friesen started to close in on the three leaders. With Friesen overtaking Rhodes for third place not long after, Ankrum kept leading by within two-tenths of a second. Behind, Garcia retained fifth place while Haley, Day, Heim and Caruth battled for sixth place. Amid the battles, Ankrum continued to lead at the Lap 55 mark.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 60, Ankrum fended off a late challenge from Chandler Smith to capture his first Truck stage victory of the 2025 season. Friesen followed suit in third place while Heim, Rhodes, Haley, Garcia, Caruth, Honeycutt and Corey Day were scored in the top 10, respectively. By then, Majeski, who won the first stage period, settled in 13th place after he sustained right-side damage to his entry amid early contact with Day.
During the stage break, nearly the entire lead lap field led by Ankrum returned to pit road for service while Jack Wood, who made contact with the wall and lost a bevy of spots in the opening laps, remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Heim exited pit road first and he was followed by Friesen, Haley, Chandler smith, Enfinger, Honeycutt, Hemric, Caruth, Ankrum and Garcia, respectively.
Amid the pit stops, Luke Fenhaus was sent to the rear of the field due to having too many crew members over his pit wall during his pit service. In addition, Caruth was penalized for a safety violation while Honeycutt was also penalized for not filing in line with the field prior to entering pit road. Dawson Sutton would also be penalized for improper fueling to his entry.
During the caution period, Wood, who led two laps under a cautious pace, pitted with 69 laps remaining. This handed the lead to Heim, where he would retain the top spot under a cautious pace until he and the rest of the field were directed to pit road with 65 laps remaining. The event was then placed in a second red flag period due to precipitation returning.
Nineteen minutes later, the field led by Heim returned to the track under a cautious pace. Then following an extra cautious lap, the final stage period commenced under with 63 laps remaining as Heim and Friesen occupied the front row. At the start, Friesen received a push from Chandler Smith from the inside lane to launch his No. 52 Halmar Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry ahead with the lead. As Friesen led through the backstretch, the field fanned out to multiple lanes as Haley threaded his way in between Heim and Chandler Smith for the runner-up spot. With the field still fanning out and jostling for late spots, Friesen led the following lap.
With 61 laps remaining, Heim drew himself in a side-by-side battle with Friesen for the lead. Both dueled through the frontstretch and the backstretch before Friesen muscled back ahead and led with 60 laps remaining. As Friesen retained the lead over Heim, Chandler Smith was in third place ahead of Haley, Garcia while Grant Enfinger and Layne Riggs gave chase. Over the next five laps, Chandler Smith and Haley fiercely battled for third place in front of Riggs, Garcia, Enfinger and Majeski while Friesen maintained a steady lead over Heim.
Then with nearly 50 laps remaining, the caution flew when Honeycutt, who was racing in eighth place, got loose underneath Garcia and slid his No. 45 AutoVentive/Precision Chevrolet Silverado RST entry sideways entering Turn 4. Honeycutt’s incident resulted with Ankrum taking evasive action, but the latter slid up and hit the outside wall. Amid the incident, Connor Mosack, who made contact with teammate Daniel Hemric during the previous restart, fell off the pace as he had a flat left-side tire.
During the caution period, nearly the entire field led by Friesen pitted for fresh tires and fuel to reach the scheduled distance while Spencer Boyd remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Heim exited pit road first and he was followed by Friesen, Chandler Smith, Riggs, Enfinger, Hemric, Majeski, Honeycutt, Haley and Day, respectively. Amid the pit stops, Currey was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation, where a wheel rolled out of his pit box and onto the track.
Down to the final 44 laps of the event, the field restarted under green. At the start, Heim received a push from Friesen on the inside lane to rocket ahead with the lead. As Heim led through the backstretch, the field fanned out as Chandler Smith, who received a push from teammate Riggs through the backstretch, drew himself alongside Heim through Turns 3 and 4. Smith would then lead the following lap, but was unable to drive away from Heim as both dueled through the frontstretch.
Then amid the side-by-side battle, Riggs used the outside lane to overtake Smith. The former executed a bold move beneath Heim to move into the lead and clear Heim. As Riggs led, Heim was left to battle Chandler Smith and Majeski for the runner-up spot until Friesen bolted his way to a battle with Heim for the spot.
With 41 laps remaining, however, the caution returned when Jack Wood, who was racing towards the rear of the field, snapped sideways and backed his No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST entry into the outside wall in Turn 4, which left him with heavy left-rear damage as he retired in the garage.
As the event restarted under green with 34 laps remaining, Riggs received a push from Majeski on the inside lane to briefly muscle ahead until Heim fought back through the first two turns. As the field fanned out, Riggs and Heim received respective pushes from Majeski and Friesen. They remained dead even as Riggs led the following lap by a hair. With Garcia falling off the pace due to a tire rub, multiple names that included Majeski, Haley, Friesen, Chandler Smith and Enfinger all joined the battle for the lead as Riggs and Heim dueled.
With 32 laps remaining, Heim received a push from Majeski to storm his No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro ahead of Riggs’ No. 34 Love’s Ford F-150 entry through the frontstretch and entering the first turn. Behind, Riggs retained second as Majeski and Friesen fiercely battled for third place in front of Haley, Enfinger as Tanner Gray joined the battle. Rhodes, Chandler Smith and Crafton would also join the battle as Heim led with 30 laps remaining.
Down to the final 25 laps of the event, Riggs, who was fiercely battling Tanner Gray for the runner-up spot, snapped sideways as he got loose underneath Gray entering the backstretch. Riggs, though, kept his truck racing straight as Gray assumed the runner-up spot. By then, Enfinger and Friesen also overtook Riggs to move up the top-five leaderboard as Heim maintained a reasonable lead.
Riggs would proceed to battle fiercely with Majeski for fifth place while Caruth and Crafton dueled for seventh place in front of Rhodes and Chandler Smith. Meanwhile, Tanner Gray and Enfinger started to close in on Heim for the top spot as the latter led by nearly half a second. As Gray was left to battle Enfinger for the runner-up spot, Heim led by a tenth of a second with 20 laps remaining.
With 15 laps remaining, Heim continued to lead by half a second over teammate Gray while Enfinger retained third place. Behind, Majeski and Friesen battled for fourth place while Riggs was mired back in sixth place. As Gray was unable to gain more ground on teammate Heim, the latter maintained a seven-tenths of a second lead with 10 laps remaining.
Then with nine laps remaining, Enfinger overtook Gray for the runner-up spot. Enfinger would proceed to gain slight ground on Heim over the next four laps, but Heim stabilized his late lead to half a second with five laps remaining.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Heim, who maintained his lead by above half a second over the previous four laps, remained in the lead by four-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Enfinger. Enfinger would proceed to follow in Heim’s tracks through the first two turns and the backstretch. He then tried to mount a charge from the outside lane, but he could not narrow the gap further to Heim. With the lead still in his possession, Heim cycled back to the frontstretch victorious as he streaked across the finish line for a victory in Sin City.
With the victory, Heim became the first Truck Series competitor to notch multiple victories to the 2025 season and the 27th competitor overall to win a Truck event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Georgian also racked up his 13th career victory in the series and the second of this year for both TRICON Garage and the Toyota nameplate.
A month ago, Heim, who initially finished in the runner-up spot behind Parker Kligerman at Daytona International Speedway, was awarded the event’s official victory after Kligerman’s race-winning entry failing the post-race inspection process due to being too low. In comparison, Heim’s Las Vegas victory occurred after he took the checkered flag first on the track.
“First of all, our pit crew did such a good job getting us back out front,” Heim said on the frontstretch on FS1. “I made that mistake under Stage 1, where I sped on pit road, set up behind, but incredible truck. Incredible crew. Huge thank you to TRICON Garage, Toyota, Safelite for everything they do.”
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“[I’m] A little bit speechless right now,” Heim, who described racing the event’s cold temperatures, added. “This wasn’t exactly what we wanted as far as the weather being cold and whatnot. I feel like we do a lot better when it’s hot and greasy and we’re sliding around. [I have] Kind of mixed emotions going into this race, but clearly, it paid off. [I] Just had to do everything I can there. I think all of us were completely wide open at the end, so [I] just did all I can looking at my mirror, driving out my mirror and [it] worked out. Just a huge thank you to everyone involved. [It’s] Just such a good feeling to be a part of driving these fast trucks.”
Grant Enfinger, who won at Las Vegas in 2018, settled in second place as he fell eight-tenths of a second shy of winning while Tanner Gray, who made a late charge to the front, finished in third place for his 10th top-five career result.
Ty Majeski came home in fourth place while Layne Riggs, who made a miraculous save in the closing laps, settled in fifth place. Stewart Friesen, Rajah Caruth, Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton and Tyler Ankrum completed the top-10 spots in the final running order.
Notably, Justin Haley, Kaden Honeycutt, Daniel Hemric, Ben Rhodes and rookie Giovanni Ruggerio finished in the top 15 while rookies Andres Perez de Lara, Connor Mosack, Toni Breidinger and Frankie Muniz finished 17th, 20th, 21st and 24th, respectively. In addition, pole-sitter Corey Day fell back to 27th place and was two laps down after he made a late pit stop for repairs due to on-track contact.
There were 21 lead changes for 12 different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 34 laps. In addition, 23 of 31 starters finished on the lead lap.
Following the third event of the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series season, Ty Majeski leads the regular-season standings by five points over Corey Heim, eight over both Grant Enfinger and Chandler Smith, 21 over Stewart Friesen and 33 over Ben Rhodes.
Race Results:
1. Corey Heim, 42 laps led 2. Grant Enfinger 3. Tanner Gray 4. Ty Majeski, 13 laps led, Stage 1 winner 5. Layne Riggs, five laps led 6. Stewart Friesen, 14 laps led 7. Rajah Caruth 8. Chandler Smith, one lap led 9. Matt Crafton 10. Tyler Ankrum, 39 laps led, Stage 2 winner 11. Justin Haley, one lap led 12. Kaden Honeycutt 13. Daniel Hemric 14. Ben Rhodes, six laps led 15. Giovanni Ruggiero 16. Matt Mills 17. Andres Perez de Lara 18. Bayley Currey 19. Dawson Sutton 20. Connor Mosack 21. Toni Breidinger 22. William Sawalich 23. Luke Fenhaus 24. Frankie Muniz, one lap down 25. Spencer Boyd, one lap down, one lap led 26. Jake Garcia, two laps down, one lap led 27. Corey Day, two laps down, two laps led 28. Josh Reaume, two laps down 29. Nathan Byrd, six laps down 30. Jack Wood – OUT, Accident, two laps led 31. Stephen Mallozzi – OUT, Drivetrain
Next on the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule is Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, for the Baptist Health 200. The event is scheduled to occur next Friday, March 21, and air at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Sammy Smith sped his way to his first NASCAR Xfinity Series pole position of the 2025 season for The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 14.
The event’s starting lineup was determined through a standard practice and qualifying procedure. The field was split into two 25-minute practice sessions. Next, the field joined forces to participate in one single-lap qualifying session (impound). The groups and qualifying order were determined by metrics that included 70% based on previous race finish by owner and 30% based on owner points standings, with the best-scoring competitors placed in the second group.
Xfinity Series Pole Winner
Smith was the third-fastest competitor during the practice session on Friday. He followed it up with a pole-winning lap at 183.455 mph in 29.435 seconds during qualifying in his No. 8 Pilot/JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro entry, claiming the top-starting spot. He bested his teammate, Carson Kvapil, by 0.067 seconds.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion and two-time Xfinity Series race winner from Johnston, Iowa, notched his third career pole in the division and his first since November 2023 at Martinsville Speedway. Smith, who is in his second full-time season in the series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet entry for JR Motorsports, is currently ranked in fifth place in the driver’s standings as he strives to contend for his first victory of the year for Saturday’s main event in Sin City.
“Hats off to all these Pilot guys,” Smith said on the CW Network. “[Crew chief] Philip [Belt] and all the [No. 8] guys did a really good job. We’ve really tried to focus on qualifying these last couple of races just to try to help our starting position. The goal tomorrow, he continued, “is to keep [the car] out front and hopefully, we can finish here.”
Smith will share the front row with Carson Kvapil, the latter of whom posted his best qualifying lap at 183.038 mph in 29.502 seconds. Although he was one position shy of claiming his first Xfinity pole, Kvapil achieved his first front-row starting spot for an Xfinity event and emerged as the highest-starting Xfinity rookie for the main event.
Qualifying
Rookie Connor Zilisch, who is also a JR Motorsports teammate to Sammy Smith and Carson Kvapil, will start in third place with a qualifying lap at 182.655 mph in 29.564 seconds. Earlier, Zilisch was the fastest competitor during the event’s practice session. Rookie Taylor Gray and Sam Mayer will start in the top five, respectively.
Justin Allgaier, the reigning Xfinity Series champion and a JR Motorsports teammate to Smith, Kvapil and Zilisch, will start in sixth place. Jesse Love, rookie William Sawalich, rookie Nick Sanchez and Jeb Burton completed the top-10 starting spots.
Aric Almirola, the winner of last weekend’s Xfinity event at Phoenix Raceway, will line up in 11th place and share the sixth row with Parker Retzlaff.
In addition, the following names that included Jeremy Clements, Austin Hill, Brandon Jones, rookie Christian Eckes, Harrison Burton, Matt DiBenedetto, Ryan Sieg, Anthony Alfredo, Sheldon Creed, Josh Williams, rookie Dean Thompson and Austin Green will start 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 28th and 36th, respectively.
Starting Lineup
With 38 competitors vying for 38 starting spots, all of the entered competitors made the main event.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
1. Sammy Smith, 183.455 mph, 29.435 seconds
2. Carson Kvapil, 183.038 mph, 29.502 seconds
3. Connor Zilisch, 182.655 mph, 29.564 seconds
4. Taylor Gray, 182.482 mph, 29.592 seconds
5. Sam Mayer, 182.223 mph, 29.634 seconds
6. Justin Allgaier, 182.174 mph, 29.642 seconds
7. Jesse Love, 182.156 mph, 29.645 seconds
8. William Sawalich, 182.014 mph, 29.668 seconds
9. Nick Sanchez, 181.977 mph, 29.674 seconds
10. Jeb Burton, 181.892 mph, 29.688 seconds
11. Aric Almirola, 181.892 mph, 29.688 seconds
12. Parker Retzlaff, 181.671 mph, 29.724 seconds
13. Jeremy Clements, 181.165 mph, 29.807 seconds
14. Austin Hill, 181.074 mph, 29.822 seconds
15. Brandon Jones, 181.008 mph, 29.833 seconds
16. Daniel Dye, 179.623 mph, 30.063 seconds
17. Christian Eckes, 179.551 mph, 30.075 seconds
18. Harrison Burton, 179.438 mph, 30.094 seconds
19. Matt DiBenedetto, 179.206 mph, 30.133 seconds
20. Ryan Sieg, 178.802 mph, 30.201 seconds
21. Kyle Sieg, 178.436 mph, 30.263 seconds
22. Anthony Alfredo, 178.394 mph, 30.270 seconds
23. Sheldon Creed, 178.159 mph, 30.310 seconds
24. Josh Williams, 177.842 mph, 30.364 seconds
25. Patrick Emerling, 177.561 mph, 30.412 seconds
26. Kris Wright, 177.421 mph, 30.436 seconds
27. Blaine Perkins, 176.927 mph, 30.521 seconds
28. Dean Thompson, 176.603 mph, 30.577 seconds
29. Leland Honeyman, 176.557 mph, 30.585 seconds
30. Brennan Poole, 175.901 mph. 30.699 seconds
31. Mason Massey, 174.667 mph, 30.916 seconds
32. Dawson Cram, 173.527 mph, 31.119 seconds
33. Garrett Smithley, 173.171 mph, 31.183 seconds
34. Josh Bilicki, 173.088 mph, 31.198 seconds
35. Ryan Ellis, 172.590 mph, 31.288 seconds
36. Austin Green, 172.155 mph, 31.367 seconds
37. Joey Gase, 170.111 mph, 31.744 seconds
38. Greg Van Alst, 168.161 mph, 32.112 seconds
The 2025 The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is set to occur on Saturday, March 15, and air at 4:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
Corey Day recorded his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole for the Ecosave 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 14.
The event’s starting lineup was determined through a standard practice and qualifying procedure, The field was split into two 25-minute practice sessions apiece before rejoining forces and participating in one single-lap qualifying session (impound). The groups and qualifying order were determined by metrics. Seventy percent is based on the previous race finish by owner and 30% based on owner points standings. The best-scoring competitors are placed in the second group.
Pole Winner
During the qualifying session, Day steered the No. 7 HendrickCars.com/Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST to a pole-winning lap at 177.702 mph in 30.388 seconds. Notably, he was also the fifth-fastest competitor in practice earlier on Friday, It was enough to edge Tyler Ankrum and claim the top-starting spot for his fifth career start in the series on Friday night at Sin City.
With the pole, Day, a 19-year-old native of Clovis, California, became the 144th competitor overall to win a Truck Series pole position. He is also the second first-time series pole winner of the 2025 season. Connor Mosack claimed his first pole at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February. It was the sixth Truck career pole for Spire Motorsports and the third for the organization’s No. 7 Chevrolet team led by veteran crew chief Brian Pattie.
Friday night’s event at Las Vegas will mark the first of eight events for Corey Day in the Truck Series with Spire Motorsports in 2025. This comes after he inked a development deal with Hendrick Motorsports and will compete in select Xfinity Series events throughout this season. The Californian will now strive to contend for his first Truck victory.
“Oh man, I’m shaking,” Day said on FS1. “I just haven’t had much success with this stuff. Just really been a struggle for me, so really awesome to get a pole and [crew chief] Brian Pattie definitely made my job easy there. So hopefully, we can carry it into tonight. Just huge thanks to Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com for believing in me and giving me this opportunity.”
Qualifying
Day will share the front row with Tyler Ankrum, who posted his best qualifying lap at 177.602 mph in 30.405 seconds. Ironically, Ankrum finished in the runner-up spot at Las Vegas a year ago. He continues his pursuit of his first series win since winning at Kentucky Speedway in 2019.
Jake Garcia, Justin Haley and Stewart Friesen will start in the top five, respectively. Rajah Caruth, the reigning Truck winner at Las Vegas, qualified in sixth place. Ty Majeski, rookie Giovanni Ruggiero, Dawson Sutton and Connor Mosack completed the top-10 starting spots.
Notably, the following names that included Matt Crafton, Daniel Hemric, rookie Andres Perez de Lara, Ben Rhodes, Corey Heim, Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, Grant Enfinger, Layne Riggs, William Sawalich, rookie Toni Breidinger and rookie Frankie Muniz qualified 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th, respectively. In addition, Nathan Byrd was the only competitor who did not post a qualifying lap. As a result, he will round out the 31-truck grid by starting in 31st place.
With 31 competitors vying for 31 starting spots, all of the entered competitors made the main event.
Starting Lineup
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
1. Corey Day, 177.702 mph, 30.388 seconds
2. Tyler Ankrum, 177.404 mph, 30.439 seconds
3. Jake Garcia, 177.404 mph, 30.439 seconds
4. Justin Haley, 177.398 mph, 30.44 seconds
5. Stewart Friesen, 177.241 mph, 30.467 seconds
6. Rajah Caruth, 176.927 mph, 30.521 seconds
7. Ty Majeski, 176.811 mph, 30.541 seconds
8. Giovanni Ruggerio, 176.788 mph, 30.545 seconds
9. Dawson Sutton, 176.563 mph, 30.584 seconds
10. Connor Mosack, 176.424 mph, 30.608 seconds
11. Matt Crafton, 176.327 mph, 30.625 seconds
12. Daniel Hemric, 176.2, 30.68 seconds
13. Andres Perez de Lara, 176.01 mph, 30.68 seconds
14. Jack Wood, 175.861 mph, 30.706 seconds
15. Ben Rhodes, 175.85 mph, 30.708 seconds
16. Corey Heim, 175.844 mph, 30.709 seconds
17. Chandler Smith, 175.81 mph, 30.715 seconds
18. Tanner Gray, 175.69 mph, 30.736 seconds
19. Bayley Currey, 175.484 mph, 30.772 seconds
20. Grant Enfinger, 175.433 mph, 30.781 seconds
21. Spencer Boyd, 175.393 mph, 30.788 seconds
22. Kaden Honeycutt, 175.359 mph, 30.794 seconds
23. Layne Riggs, 175.256 mph, 30.812 seconds
24. Matt Mills, 175.165 mph, 30.828 seconds
25. William Sawalich, 174.825 mph, 30.888 seconds
26. Luke Fenhaus, 174.712 mph, 30.908 seconds
27. Toni Breidinger, 174.498 mph, 30.946 seconds
28. Josh Reaume, 173.099 mph, 31.196 seconds
29. Frankie Muniz, 171.434 mph, 31.499 seconds
30. Stephen Mallozzi, 164.745 mph, 32.778 seconds
31. Nathan Byrd, 0 mph, 0 seconds
The 2025 Ecosave 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is set to occur on Friday, March 14, and air at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
Fans get chance to see special big-money Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge
POMONA, Calif. (March 14, 2025) – The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to its birthplace for the historic 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, March 27-30 at the famed In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip with plenty of special additions to make it a memorable weekend.
Known for its storied history, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip has seen some of the sport’s biggest moments and this season’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals will be one of the biggest yet. The big-money Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race was moved from Gainesville after weather postponed the event, pitting eight marquee Top Fuel drivers against each other in a unique race on Friday, March 28.
With big money and bragging rights on the line, the first-round matchups are set. Four-time world champion Steve Torrence takes on racing legend Tony Stewart, while Doug Kalitta called out Clay Millican. Shawn Langdon selected Antron Brown as his opening-round opponent, while Justin Ashley and Brittany Force will face off.
The quickest winning driver of the first round also gets to select their semifinal opponent, setting the other matchup as well. It all goes down on Friday, with the first round taking place at 2 p.m. PT. The semifinals follow at 3:20 p.m. and the finals will close out an action-packed day at 4:55 p.m.
The following day, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, which features semifinal rematches from Phoenix, takes place during Saturday action, bringing a bonus purse and bonus championship points to qualifying. Add in eliminations on Sunday and it’s a loaded schedule and opportunity to see incredible 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph action from start to finish as part of a jam-packed, nitro-filled weekend.
Last season, Ashley (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) claimed Pomona victories. This season’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including elimination coverage on Sunday March 30 at 6:30 p.m. ET. A special Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout special will air from 9:30-10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 28.
Drivers in the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout
Top Fuel pilot Ashley earned his third consecutive Winternationals title last season. It was his fourth straight trip to the finals at the historic race. If he wants four straight wins at the iconic event, he’ll have to get past Brown, a two-time Pomona winner, former champs Kalitta, Langdon, Force and Torrence, as well as Stewart and Millican.
Force, a 16-time Funny Car champion and the winningest driver in NHRA history, picked up his 17th Pomona win last season when he defeated former champ Matt Hagan. After a mid-season crash, Jack Beckman stepped in for Force, winning twice. Beckman is back in 2025 for Force, forming a potent John Force Racing duo with Funny Car champ Austin Prock. They’re part of a loaded field that includes five-time Pomona winner and Southern California native Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, Daniel Wilkerson, Matt Hagan, Gainesville winner Chad Green and J.R. Todd.
Pro Stock standout Glenn earned his second consecutive Winternationals title when he defeated six-time champion Erica Enders in the final round. Glenn went on to finish runner-up last season to his KB Titan Racing teammate Greg Anderson, thanks to a winner-take-all final round of the season at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals. Others to watch include Aaron Stanfield, six-time champ Erica Enders and Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Fans can also see the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Legends Nitro Funny Cars and Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, while the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department will hold a special racing exhibition.
The Nitro Alley Stage is a huge attraction all weekend and is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, NHRA Insider Live, meet and greets, and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.
Race fans at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip can also enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1 p.m. and 3:30 PT on Friday, March 28, and the final two rounds on Saturday, March 29 at 12:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. The finals of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge take place at the end of final qualifying in each category. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, March 30. Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday and 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 6:30 p.m. ET. A special Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout special will air from 9:30-10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 28.
To purchase tickets to the 2025 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. Fans can get closer to the action with a Top Eliminator Club experience, offering the best seats in the house and a premium experience, as well as a members-only hospitality center, complimentary food and beverage, driver appearances, a premium view and more. For more information about the NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
About Mission Foods
MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/
About NHRA
NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Three Cadillac V-Series.Rs look at long game in 12-hour race at Sebring
SEBRING, Fla. (March 14, 2025) – Four of Cadillac Racing’s five victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring since 2017 have been achieved from starting on the second row or lower.
That’s some consolation and motivation for drivers of the three Cadillac Racing Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) entries following qualifications for the 73rd edition of the iconic North American endurance race.
Louis Deletraz, who co-drove to victory in the 2024 race with Jordan Taylor, recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 48.126 seconds in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R to place seventh in the disjointed session on the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway course.
Ricky Taylor qualified eighth in the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R with a lap of 1:48.171. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Jack Aitken, which topped the lap time chart in the practice session the night before, encountered a mechanical issue at the outset of the 15-minute session that brought out a red flag and will start 13th in the order.
Cadillac Racing has recorded five overall victories, including three in a row (2021-2023), and finished runner-up in 2024 and 2018 in the races at Sebring since joining IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship prototype competition in 2017. The 2022, 2021, 2019 and 2017 victories came from qualifying fourth or lower.
The 2023 victory by the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R – in Aitken’s second IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship start – came from the pole. The No. 31 entry campaigned by Action Express Racing also earned the pole in 2024.
The No. 24 BMW M Team RLL earned the pole with a best lap of 1:147.091.
The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will be the official Safety Vehicle for the race.
What they’re saying
Louis Delétraz, No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: “Not an easy session and I think we all wanted better results, obviously. But qualifying doesn’t really matter at Sebring, it’s all ab out the last three laps of the race. I think we worked mostly on our race car, and we didn’t focus on qualifying. We definitely can still improve. We’re still learning and getting better every time out. We have to look at some data and be fully ready for tomorrow to get a strong race car and a strong night race car and hopefully defend our win.”
Ricky Taylor, No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R: “I think we are learning every time we drive the Cadillac V-Series.R. It’s amazing even with a 15-minute session and this one was hectic for 15 minutes to just have a two-lap sprint to the end. It’s so conditional on what everybody else is trying to do to get clean laps. We can always try to position ourselves better and can’t completely blame the situation. So, it is what it is. The car has run flawlessly, and it needs to do the same for tomorrow. I think we have worked a lot on our race car. It’s a long race and people have won further back, and we will just keep positive for tomorrow.”
Cadillac Racing Twelve Hours of Sebring overall victories 2024-2017
2023: No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, start first – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims, Jack Aitken
2022: No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, start fourth – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Neel Jani
2019: No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R),start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran
2017: No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R, start sixth – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Alex Lynn
Runner-up
2024: No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, start second — Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon 2018: No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R, start 10th – Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay
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.
Mobil 1 Corvettes on GTD PRO third row; AWA and DXDT Racing aiming high
SEBRING, Fla. (March 14, 2025) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ two Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will start side-by-side Saturday on the third row of the GTD PRO class for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring following qualifying time trials Friday.
Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette will start fifth alongside teammate Tommy Milner in the No. 4 entry as the Corvette Racing program looks for its 13th program victory in America’s oldest sports car race. Both Pratt Miller Corvettes are running special Mobil 1 liveries this weekend and hope to recapture the magic previous years at the circuit.
Garcia’s best lap was a 1:59.897 (112.296 mph) effort in the Corvette he’ll share with Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella. The trio was second in class to start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Milner was an eyelash back at 1:59.926 (112.268 mph) in the Z06 GT3.R that he will drive with Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone – all three previous winners at Sebring in either IMSA or FIA World Endurance Championship competition.
In GTD, Salih Yoluc was the quickest Corvette driver with a 2:01.814 (110.538 mph) in DXDT Racing’s No. 36 Z06 GT3.R, just ahead of AWA’s Orey Fidani in the No. 13 Corvette at 2:02.274 (110.113 mph). Although both entries were down the order in class, they will have an advantage in the race as most teams elected to qualify their Pro-level drivers in the session. With the expected number of safety car periods, Both DXDT and AWA will be able to run their higher-ranked drivers against the Bronze drivers from other entrants.
The momentum of the second-year Corvette Z06 GT3.R program is sky-high even after only two months of racing. At Daytona, AWA captured a landmark first 24-hour win for the Corvette in GTD, the No. 3 Corvette from Pratt Miller Motorsports finished second in GTD PRO and the No. 4 sister Corvette led seven times in class.
In addition, the Corvette GT3 won in FIA World Endurance Championship competition for the first time with TF Sport taking the LM GT3 class victory with Juncadella as part of the driving lineup.
The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 15. The race will air live flag-to-flag on Peacock in the United States and YouTube outside the U.S. beginning at 10 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will have the race call on XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996, 99.9 FM in Sebring and 107.9 FM at the circuit.
SELECT CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s not bad when you are involved in the fight for pole, for sure. So it’s not that I wasn’t going for it. I definitely liked the times we were able to start from that position, but today we probably didn’t have the ultimate pace against the cars ahead of us. But I would say car balance isn’t bad, so we kept working throughout yesterday and I think we made progress last night. It was improving, and maybe we tried a few other things in qualifying just to validate or discard toward the race. So even if the car wasn’t what I wanted it to be, I think it gave us that good information for tomorrow. I’m still happy with that. It’s not the front row. It’s the third row but I’m sure we can still win this race from there.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Qualifying was okay. I would say probably are kind of close to everybody except really the Ferrari and the Porsche. I had a feeling just based on practice that we don’t have the ultimate pace of the other guys. We’re super heavy, so that doesn’t usually bode well for tire wear either, so we’ve been put in a box here that’s not ideal. But obviously, we’ve been in this situation multiple times, so we’ll do our best, work on the strategy and things like that toward the race. Last night was important. That’s when all the magic happens… Sebring at nighttime, good and bad. I thought our Corvette was decent last night but it’s also hard to gauge against what everybody else does with tires and things like that. They have such an impact on your pace. To be honest I feel like we certainly don’t have the fastest car and probably not even really the second- or third-fastest car. We’re down a little bit on pace. But from our side, the car feels good generally. We have a little bit of work to do, but we’re not far off. So yeah, I think for us it’s going be a strategy race tomorrow.”
OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m happy with the car and the session. I think I had a little bit more left in the tank. The car just had a tad bit of understeer, so I couldn’t put it together at the end of the session. But we have a good car that will only get better once it cools down.”
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: By the Numbers
1: As in one manufacturer and one model of car for the 27th year at Sebring: Chevrolet and the Corvette
2: Number of wins for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R already in 2025 – the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GTD class for AWA and the FIA WEC’s 1812 Km of Qatar for TF Sport in LM GT3
3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its previous 26 years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
4: Sebring race wins for Antonio Garcia – the most among drivers entered in this year’s 12 Hours
4: GT class pole positions at Sebring for Oliver Gavin and Ron Fellows, tied for most in event history
8: Sebring victories – a race record – for Johnny O’Connell, a Sebring Hall of Famer who drove for Corvette Racing from 2001-10. It includes one overall and seven class wins
14: Number of Sebring victories for Corvette Racing – the most of any venue in program history. Twelve of those have come in the 12 Hours, including 2022 in GTD PRO
14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
28: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
60: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. TF Sport’s Jonny Edgar joined the list at the FIA WEC”s 1812 Km of Qatar in a race-winning effort
72: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
140: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 117 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, four in the FIA WEC and 10 in GT World Challenge America
311: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August 2004 at Road America in IMSA
59,092.16: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries at Sebring since 1999. The program will eclipse the 60,000-mile mark when the four Corvettes combine to complete 243 laps
410,323.38: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries since 1999. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles
Corvette Racing at Sebring International Raceway (wins in bold)
1999 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 4th in GTS (Fellows pole)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Scott Sharp/John Heinricy – 7th in GTS (Pilgrim fastest race lap)
2000 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 6th in GTS (Fellows pole)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 5th in GTS
2001 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Chris Kneifel – 3rd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2002 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Fellows pole)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 4th in GTS
2003 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 3rd in GTS (Gavin pole)
2004 – No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 1st in GTS (Fellows pole)
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.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (March 14, 2025) – NHRA officials are pleased to announce Albuquerque Dragway is back in the NHRA Member Track Network as part of the NHRA’s Pacific Division (Division 7).
Albuquerque Dragway has enjoyed a long and extensive drag racing history dating back to 1963. The standout facility has been a longtime NHRA Member Track over the years and track owner Robert Costa, who has been with the track since 2008, has been dedicated to providing a safe, competitive and exciting environment and facility for racers and teams.
“Albuquerque Dragway is happy to be back home at NHRA in Division 7,” Costa said. “Our racers are looking forward to racing at the E.T. Finals in Phoenix, as well as the Jr. E.T. finals in Las Vegas later this year. We view this as a good opportunity for our racers with the benefits and programs that NHRA offers. I look forward to working with (NHRA Division Director) Matt DeYoung, as well as the other Division 7 tracks.”
By returning to the NHRA Member Track Network, Albuquerque Dragway will be eligible to offer racers in the area a variety of NHRA-sanctioned racing opportunities in the future, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Street Legal, NHRA Jr. Street and more. Additionally, the track will have the chance to host NHRA specialty events like the NHRA Summit King of the Track and more.
The track will also get access to NHRA’s extensive support programs, insurance benefits and national marketing platforms. Albuquerque Dragway offers a variety of racing programs and events throughout its jam-packed race season, showcasing Costa and the team’s passion for the sport and making it a popular destination for fans and competitors in the area.
“It’s great to welcome Albuquerque Dragway back to the NHRA family! Robert has a passion for this sport and his racers, which shows in the pride he takes in his events throughout the season,” DeYoung said. “We can’t wait to see more of the Albuquerque Dragway Racers at E.T. Finals and Jr. Finals!”
For more information on upcoming events and programs at Albuquerque Dragway, visit www.abqdragway.com. For more information on NHRA, including the 2025 schedule, visit www.NHRA.com.
About NHRA
NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
