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Haas Factory Team, Sheldon Creed Announce 13 Race Xfinity Partnership With Road Ranger

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Official Release
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[KANNAPOLIS, NC] – HAAS Factory Team and Sheldon Creed, driver of the No. 00 in the Xfinity Series, have announced an exhilarating collaboration with Road Ranger spanning across 13 races during the 2025 Xfinity season. The No. 00 car will dawn the Road Ranger sponsorship for the first time this season at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) on March 2, where Creed has two career top 10 finishes.

“I am incredibly excited to welcome Road Ranger as a partner! Their commitment to this sport and now the Haas Factory Team gives me confidence that we will achieve great things on and off the racetrack,” Creed said. “I am thankful to all of the people at Road Ranger for supporting our race team and my career and I look forward to competing at a high level while representing this great brand.”

With this new chapter in their motorsport journey, Road Ranger aims to amplify its presence among NASCAR’s fervent fanbase by tapping into the storied tradition and electrifying energy of the Xfinity Series. The move signifies more than sponsorship; it embodies a shared vision for pushing boundaries both on-track and off.

“Racing is not just about speed; it’s about precision, strategy, and understanding when to push beyond limits,” said Marko Zaro, CEO of Road Ranger. “Partnering with Sheldon Creed aligns us with a driver whose talent mirrors our own pursuit of excellence on America’s highways.”

“The true power of collaboration lies in recognizing potential before others see possibility,” Ryan Arnold, VP Marketing at Road Ranger remarked. “As we join forces with one of racing’s most promising Xfinity Series talents alongside HAAS Factory Team, we’re set to redefine our engagement within this dynamic community. The unmatched energy and enthusiasm of NASCAR fans has always been truly infectious, and we have felt honored to be part of such a devoted community. Our investment in NASCAR sponsorship paid dividends not only in terms of visibility and exposure for the Road Ranger brand, but also in the meaningful relationships we built along the way. The pinnacle of our Truck Series journey was undoubtedly Ty’s championship-winning season, a thrilling triumph that left an indelible mark on our company and we’re excited to see what we can do next.”

The transition from Truck Series success stories to aspirations within Xfinity circuits represents an important milestone for Road Ranger—a testament not only reflecting past achievements but also heralding future triumphs as they deepen connections across key automotive audiences nationwide.

About Road Ranger

Road Ranger today stands as the fourth-largest travel center chain in the United States with over 54 locations from Wisconsin all the way down to Texas. Road Ranger proudly serves professional drivers, motorists, and travelers throughout the mid-continental United States. Locations can be conveniently found on major highways in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, and Texas. Road Ranger locations offer clean facilities, CAT Scales, well-lit and spacious lots, top-tier gasoline, complimentary customer loyalty programs, dog parks, and a wide variety of high-quality hot food to go. In addition to these offerings, Ranger also provides a variety of quick-service restaurants including Ranger Kitchen, Dan’s Pizza, Tejas Tacos, Wendy’s, Subway, Church’s Chicken, Chester’s, Cinnabon, Dickie’s Barbecue Pit, McDonald’s, and Burger King. Road Ranger’s values are consistent from the store to corporate levels – to provide families and professional drivers highway hospitality, clean facilities, fresh quality food, and superior customer service.

About HAAS:

The Haas Factory Team is a NASCAR Cup and Xfinity program owned by Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation. Starting in 2025, the team will feature Cole Custer driving the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse in the NASCAR Cup Series, while Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer take on the Xfinity Series in the No. 00 and No. 41 Ford Mustangs, respectively. Based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Haas Factory Team reflects a commitment to performance and engineering excellence, carrying forward Gene Haas’s commitment to motorsports.

About Sheldon Creed:

Sheldon Creed is originally from El Cajon, California and is known for his diversity to drive anything with four wheels. Sheldon competed in the Stadium Super Trucks (SST) Series where he accumulated six wins in only twelve starts. In 2017 Creed competed in the Trans-Am Series, ARCA, K&N, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, totaling 28 different races with 8 different teams. Sheldon won the 2018 ARCA Racing Series Championship and competed full time in 2019 and 2020 with GMS Racing in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. In 2020 Sheldon won the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship. Creed is joined the Haas Factory Team in 2025 where he will drive the No. 00 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Riley Herbst rejoins Joe Gibbs Racing for four-race Xfinity deal in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Riley Herbst will be reuniting with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) for a four-race NASCAR Xfinity Series deal in 2025, beginning this upcoming weekend at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

The 23-year-old Herbst from Las Vegas, Nevada, will be piloting JGR’s No. 19 Toyota Supra entry sponsored by Monster Energy at COTA. The news of Herbst’s part-time Xfinity deal comes as he is campaigning in his first full-time season in the Cup Series division with 23XI Racing. After notching back-to-back 17th-place finishes through the first two-scheduled events, he is currently ranked in 18th place in the 2025 driver’s standings and he leads Shane van Gisbergen in the Rookie-of-the-Year standings.

Herbst, who claimed the 2017 ARCA Menards Series Rookie-of-the-Year title, made his Xfinity Series debut with JGR at Iowa Speedway in June 2018, where he notched an impressive sixth-place result. He would then return for nine events in 2019, where he recorded three top-10 results, before he graduated to a full-time Xfinity campaign in JGR’s No. 18 Toyota entry for the 2020 season.

After notching a total of 17 top-10 results, qualifying for the 2020 Xfinity Playoffs and finishing in 12th place in the 2020 standings, Herbst transitioned from JGR to Stewart-Haas Racing to pilot the No. 98 Ford Mustang entry, beginning in 2021. Over his next three seasons, he accumulated his first two career poles, 23 top-five results, 50 top-10 results, 217 laps led, average-finishing results within the top-15 mark and two Playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022. Despite missing the Playoffs in 2023, the Las Vegas native notched his first career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, his home track.

The 2024 Xfinity season was a breakout year for Herbst, who notched a total of two victories: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November. Despite being eliminated from the Playoffs following the Round of 12, he settled in a career-best seventh place in the final standings prior to his promotion to NASCAR’s premier series in 2025.

Through 175 current starts in the Xfinity Series division, Herbst has achieved three victories, two poles, 34 top-five results, 86 top-10 results, 506 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.2. His current average-finishing rating through four Xfinity starts at COTA between 2021 to 2024 is 21.4, including a single top-10 result registered in 2023, as he strives to gain a competitive edge prior to his first Cup start at COTA this upcoming Sunday, March 2.

In 2025, Herbst is primed to become the fifth competitor to pilot JGR’s No. 19 “all-star” entry throughout the Xfinity schedule. Justin Bonsignore first piloted the entry during this year’s season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway while Aric Almirola drove the entry this past weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Both Bonsignore and Almirola are each slated to compete in eight additional events apiece. JGR Cup drivers Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe are also scheduled to drive the No. 19 entry at Darlington Raceway in April and at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, respectively. Seth Chavka will continue to serve as the entry’s crew chief.

The remainder of this year’s Xfinity Series schedule for Herbst and JGR’s driver lineup for the No. 19 entry remains to be determined.

Riley Herbst’s return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series division with Joe Gibbs Racing is scheduled to occur this upcoming Saturday, March 1, at Circuit of the Americas for the Focused Health 250. The event’s broadcast time is slated to commence at 2:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

Wright Motorsports Confirms Full Season Adelson Entry in VP Challenge SportsCar Challenge

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Official Release
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AUSTIN, Tex., (February 25, 2025) – After a dominant start to the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge season, Wright Motorsports has confirmed Adam Adelson will compete in the full 2025 championship, piloting the No. 24 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) in the GTDX class. With back-to-back victories in the opening rounds at Daytona International Speedway, Adelson leads the championship standings heading into this weekend’s Rounds 3 and 4 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

“What an incredible start to the season Daytona was, both in VP Challenge and WeatherTech Sportscar Championship,” said Adelson “I’m really proud of what we were able to accomplish in the first two races in VP Challenge, and it was an honor to take home the inaugural wins of the GTDX class.”

Adelson delivered an impressive debut in the season opener, winning his class and finishing sixth overall in Race 1, then improving in Race 2 with another class win and a top-five overall finish. This year marks the launch of GTDX, a GT3-spec category introduced into what was previously a prototype and GT4-only series. The championship features silver- and bronze-rated drivers, competing in two 45-minute sprint races per event with no pit stops or driver changes. The three-class field consists of Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX), and Grand Sport X (GSX).

Racing as part of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend, the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge field will tackle COTA’s shortened 2.3-mile course, rather than the full 3.426-mile circuit.

“Heading into COTA, I feel like we’re dealing with a lot of unknowns,” said Adelson. “I’m getting 45 kg of success ballast, and this is the first time I’m racing in a series with success ballast, so I’m really curious how that will affect my performance compared to my competitors. This is also the first time I’m racing the short layout at COTA, which is a track I’ve spent a lot of time on and really love, and I’m extremely curious how that’s going to affect setup philosophy and the overall raceability of the track. Regardless, I’m extremely confident in Wright Motorsports to give me the best possible chances of taking home more wins, and I can’t wait to keep up the momentum!”

With momentum on their side, Adelson and Wright Motorsports stand poised to take on the challenge headed into the next rounds of the championship and beyond. Both races take place on Saturday, March 1, with Race 1 at 8:40 AM CT and Race 2 at 5:00 PM CT. Fans can watch live on Peacock (domestically) and IMSA.tv/YouTube (internationally). For more information, visit imsa.com.

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

Meyer Shank Racing Ready to Kick Off 2025 INDYCAR Season in St. Pete

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Official Release
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Pataskala, Ohio (24 February 2025) – The anticipation is building as Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) gears up for the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season on the streets of St. Petersburg. With a dynamic driver lineup and new-for-2025 technical partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing, MSR is set for a strong season-opener at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg this Sunday (12:00pm ET, FOX, SiriusXM Channel 218)

Returning to the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda is Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist, who is poised to build on his momentum from his debut INDYCAR season with MSR in 2024. Rosenqvist got off to a fast start in last year’s St. Pete season opener, qualifying second in his first race with MSR. Rosenqvist went on to qualify in the top six, 10 times throughout the season including his sixth career pole position and MSR’s first on the streets of Long Beach. The Swede brought the No. 60 Honda to finish in the top 10 seven times.

This season Rosenqvist will look to build on his previous results and once again take on a team leadership role with MSR’s newest driver, Marcus Armstrong.

Armstrong will make his debut with MSR driving the No. 66 SiriusXM / Root Insurance Honda after competing with Chip Ganassi Racing the last two seasons. Armstrong showcased his potential as a rising star in the series with five top-ten finishes in his debut season in 2023 which saw him run in just the road course rounds. Armstrong scored his first career podium finish last year in Detroit and finished in the top five, five times over the course of his full-season campaign.

Meyer Shank Racing will begin its ninth season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and fifth season running full-time in the series. MSR is coming off of its strongest season to date with the team qualifying in the top six, 16 times in 2024 and scoring its first-ever NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole position with Rosenqvist.

Meyer Shank Racing will also be heading into the season with a new technical partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing. Both teams have had a handful of tests – both road courses and ovals – working together and are eager to officially start the season off in tandem in St. Petersburg.

The 100-lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will be broadcast live on FOX on Sunday, March 2nd starting at 12:00pm ET, with qualifying airing on FOX at 2:30pm ET on Saturday March 1st. Fans can also tune into live INDYCAR Radio coverage on SiriusXM Channel 218 and follow live updates on MSR social platforms.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist: “I am beyond excited to start the year, it’s been a very long off-season. We feel ready to start things in St. Petersburg and the new partnership with Ganassi has been working out really great. The No. 60 SiriusXM Honda is looking great, I love the new livery. And, this is the time when the talking stops and the flag drops.”

Marcus Armstrong: “I’m very happy to be heading to the first race of the year. I enjoy racing on street courses and St. Petersburg especially. Even though it’s my first race with the MSR crew, I feel comfortable and ready to start the season on the front foot. St Pete is always chaotic, so we’ll be trying to stay out of trouble and position ourselves well for the race.”

Ford Performance NASCAR – COTA Advance

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Official Release
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CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS

Saturday, March 1 — NASCAR Xfinity Series, 2:30 p.m. ET (CW)
Sunday, March 2 — NASCAR Cup Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

A new course layout at Circuit of The Americas will greet drivers from the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend as both will compete at the Austin facility for the fifth straight year. The course will now feature a 20-turn, 2.3-mile layout compared to the 3.41-mile Grand Prix circuit.

LEADING THE WAY

Ford Mustang Dark Horse drivers have done everything but win through the first two races of the NASCAR Cup Series season, and no category bears that out more than laps led. Nine Ford drivers have combined to lead 338-of-467 laps at Daytona and Atlanta (72%). Team Penske has been at the forefront of that domination with Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric combining to lead 125 at Daytona and 131 at Atlanta (55%). Cindric led the most laps in the Daytona 500 (59) while Logano topped all drivers in the Ambetter Health 400 (83). Overall, Ford led 143 laps in the 500 and 195 on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

BLANEY STAYS IN POINTS LEAD

Ryan Blaney is one of only two Cup Series drivers to start the season with consecutive top 10 finishes. The Team Penske driver followed up a seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500 with a fourth this past weekend after starting from the pole. That continued a three-year run of domination in qualifying at AMS that has seen Ford sweep the front row for five straight events and have at least one Team Penske driver in those positions on each occasion. Blaney goes into this weekend’s race at Circuit of The Americas with a 12-point lead in the standings while Penske teammate Austin Cindric is fourth.

BUESCHER AT HOME ON THE ROAD

Chris Buescher has been one of the most consistent drivers on road courses over the past three seasons, registering 13 top-10 finishes in the last 16 events. Included in the streak is a win last year at Watkins Glen International, which marked his first on that style of track. He comes into this weekend’s event at COTA having posted eighth-place finishes in 2023 and 2024, and has an average finish of 12.5 in four starts.

FORD’S ACTIVE ROAD COURSE CUP WINNERS

There are three current drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series race on a road course with Ford. The most recent winner was Chris Buescher, who won at Watkins Glen International and extended his streak of at least one victory to three straight seasons.. Ryan Blaney got his first road course win in the inaugural event on the Charlotte Roval in 2018 while Joey Logano scored his Cup victory at Watkins Glen International in 2015, which completed a weekend sweep after he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race one day earlier.

OTHER FORD ROAD COURSE WINNERS

Besides the drivers mentioned above, Ford has five other active Cup competitors who have won on a road course in either the NASCAR Xfinity or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Brad Keselowski (Watkins Glen NXS with Ford, 2013); Austin Cindric (NXS wins with Ford at Watkins Glen, 2019; Mid-Ohio, 2019; Road America, 2020, Daytona Road Course, 2020; and Indianapolis Road Course, 2021); Todd Gilliland (Circuit of the Americas NCTS with Ford, 2021); Zane Smith (Circuit of the Americas NCTS with Ford, 2022 and 2023); and Cole Custer (Portland NXS with Ford, 2023).

FORD ROAD COURSE WINS

IN THE MODERN ERA (1972-Present)

Circuit of The Americas is one of nine road courses the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on in the modern era, joining Riverside International Raceway (1958-88), Watkins Glen International (1957-Present), Sonoma Raceway (1989-Present), Charlotte Motor Speedway (2018-Present), Daytona International Speedway (2020-2021), Road America (2021-2022), Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2021-23) and the Chicago Street Race (2023-Present). Ford has produced a total of 20 combined wins at those facilities from 1972-Present. Mark Martin leads the way with four victories, including three straight years at Watkins Glen, while Ricky Rudd, Marcos Ambrose and Geoffrey Bodine have two each.

AUSTIN CINDRIC: “I think it specializes the track a little bit more with making it smaller. Just from a numbers standpoint, when you reduce the number of corners on the racetrack the corners that exist now have a heightened importance, whereas there’s a corner I might not have sacrificed setup items on or passing zones that are now much more important because they’re a higher percentage of the lap. So, from a numbers standpoint it does change things. I can’t say with certainty what those corners are exactly going to be and how important they’re going to be until we get there. They’ve done some paving as well, so there’s gonna be a bit of a learning curve, but it’s definitely gonna change the race for sure.”

JOSH BERRY: “Selfishly, I like the changes to the course because last year I was honestly pretty solid with the majority that they left, so we’ve spent some time at Ford in the simulator getting acclimated to the new layout and working on things. I feel good going there. All you can do is just try to be as prepared as you can and I’m continuing to gain experience on the road courses, so, for me, I think we just want to go execute a solid race. We want to be more competitive than I was last year there with no mistakes. If we can keep the car facing the right way and keep it on the racetrack, we can have a solid day.”

A COTA NASCAR FIRST

Todd Gilliland became the first NASCAR driver to win a national series event at Circuit of The Americas when he captured what was then known as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2021. In a weekend that was hampered by rain, Gilliland was able to manage the mixed conditions of dry and wet pavement to win by nearly eight seconds. Gilliland, who registered his second series win that day, continues to look for his first NASCAR Cup Series victory this weekend in his fourth season driving for Front Row Motorsports.

BURTON BY HIMSELF

Who is the only driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series to start the season with back-to-back top-10 finishes? If you answered Harrison Burton, give yourself a gold star. The 24-year-old native of Huntersville, NC, is in his first year with AM Racing and started the season with a sixth-place run at Daytona International Speedway. He was in the right place to avoid the last lap wreck at Atlanta ended up being Ford’s highest finisher in 10th. Burton comes into this weekend’s race at COTA sixth in the point standings.

MAYER PROVING TO BE A ROAD WARRIOR

Sam Mayer might be new to Ford Performance as he competes in his inaugural season with the Haas Factory Team, but he’s no stranger to winning on road courses. Of Mayer’s seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series victories, four have been on the road and they’ve all come in the past two seasons. His first career win came at Road America in 2023 and was quickly followed by victories at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval, which he successfully defended last year.

FORD’S ALL-TIME CUP ROAD COURSE WINNERS

5 – Dan Gurney
4 – Mark Martin
2 – Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Parnelli Jones, Ricky Rudd, and Marcos Ambrose
1 – Chuck Stevenson, Eddie Gray, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Geoffrey Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Michael McDowell, Chris Buescher

Donovan Strauss Joins Hettinger Racing’s Late Model Program

By
Official Release
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From Sim to Reality, 19-Year-Old is Climbing the Racing Ladder

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 25, 2025) – Donovan Strauss has accomplished a lot in a short period of time, yet the 19-year-old Philadelphia native is just getting started. In only four years, Strauss has advanced from sim racing and winning in the virtual world to driving pavement-pounding Late Model stock cars and chasing checkered flags in the real world.

In 2025, Strauss will campaign the full zMAX CARS Tour schedule with Hettinger Racing. The 15-race season kicks off this Saturday at New River All American Speedway in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

“The CARS Tour is the pinnacle of Late Model racing and it’s where I want to be. The racing is tough and the drivers are aggressive. If you can succeed on the CARS Tour, you’ve truly earned that success. I’m looking forward to putting in the effort and fulfilling all the potential that’s here at Hettinger Racing,” Strauss said.

For his debut with Hettinger Racing, Strauss will drive the No. 4 Liberty In a Can™ Chevrolet.

“Liberty In a Can is a THC seltzer out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and they’ve been a partner of mine since the middle of last season. They’re thrilled about this opportunity because it allows us to grow together,” Strauss said. “Liberty In a Can is a strong supporter of the grassroots motorsports community and they’ll leverage this partnership to connect with passionate race fans across the Southeast. It’s a great way for both of us to earn some really good results.”

Strauss’ racing career began at age 14 via iRacing, a global racing simulation game. Virtual success made Strauss want to pursue tangible racing success, so he began driving Bandoleros in 2020 after a move to Marietta, Georgia. Competing in more than 25 races across Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Cordele (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Strauss finished second in the national standings.

After only a year in Bandoleros, Strauss quickly grabbed the next rung on the racing ladder, stepping up to Legend Cars. From 2021 through 2023, he won track titles at Atlanta, Cordele and Lanier Raceway in Braselton, Georgia, securing the INEX Pro National Championship in 2023 with an impressive 18 victories.

By 2024, the time was right to move up to full-bodied stock cars. Strauss was all in, relocating to stock-car racing’s heartland, Mooresville, North Carolina. Once again, he made the most of his time, winning the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series South Carolina Rookie-of-the-Year title thanks to a breakout victory Aug. 17 at Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway. It was one of 12 top-five finishes in his 14 races at Florence, a schedule that was augmented by select CARS Tour events.

With 2025 bringing a full CARS Tour schedule to Strauss’ plate, he remains committed to the platform that sparked his racing career. This year will mark Strauss’ fourth consecutive season with Williams Esports, the gaming arm of Atlassian Williams Racing, the venerable F1 team founded by Sir Frank Williams. Strauss competes for the team in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and he helped Williams Esports claim the 2024 team championship.

“Sim racing is how I got started. It’s what taught me the fundamentals of racing and how to prepare for a race. It’s a great platform that allows you to learn from the data that’s provided and then apply it to what you’re doing,” Strauss said. “That’s what everyone is doing in all forms of motorsports today and, for me, it’s just a natural part of my preparation. It’s something I can maximize, especially when it comes to competing at tracks that I haven’t been to yet.”

The CARS Tour is widely considered the nation’s premier Late Model touring series. The experience garnered on the short tracks of the CARS Tour allows drivers to make the next jump to ARCA, where they tackle superspeedways, road courses and dirt tracks in stock cars that once raced in the NASCAR Cup Series. That background serves as preparation for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which features a stock car chassis with a pickup truck body. It is NASCAR’s third-highest division, behind only the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series. Every current NASCAR Cup Series driver has matriculated through the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Hettinger Racing serves as a one-stop shop for drivers looking to compete in these stepping-stone divisions and advance to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and, ultimately, the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series.

“Our goal is to provide a consistent environment for drivers to gain experience, learn race craft, and effectively communicate to their crew about what their car is doing so they can maximize their track time,” said Chris Hettinger, a longtime and winning Late Model team owner from Dryden, Michigan, who began his racing career in the driver’s seat, earning victories in Midgets and Late Models before becoming a fulltime team owner. “Donovan has already proven to be an incredibly quick study. He’s got natural talent, and this is a place where he can really excel. We’re proud to have him as a part of our team.”

Strauss and his Hettinger Racing teammate, Aaron Donnelly, will take to New River All American Speedway on Thursday for an open test. A second test session greets CARS Tour drivers from 2-6 p.m. EST on Friday. Saturday’s docket begins with practice at 10:30 a.m. and qualifying at 4 p.m. The 125-lap feature race goes green at 8:30 p.m. with live coverage by FloRacing.

Walls of St. Petersburg Street Course Attempt to Tame Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup

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Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Feb, 24, 2025) – It’s been over a month since the opening two rounds of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin at Daytona International Speedway. Rounds Three and Four may be in the same state, but the track couldn’t be more different as the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup returns to the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg following a one-year absence.

This temporary street circuit that uses part of a commuter airport runway is a favorite for many drivers. The concrete walls framing the circuit leave no room for error, although these stout convertibles can still get away with a scrape of the wall here and there when accidents do happen at St. Pete, they often claim several cars as drivers find themselves unable to avoid incidents that they had nothing to do with.

Despite the challenges the multi-surface track creates, it also contributes to some amazing racing. Mazda MX-5 Cup drivers are known for making successful passes where no one else can and St. Petersburg is a prime example of that. Be prepared to witness passing zones in places where both common sense and physics say passing should not work.

No one knows that better than two-time MX-5 Cup Champion and 2022 St. Pete race winner Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering).

“Drivers love the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg because it’s America’s Monaco,” Thomas said. “It’s a great course that really tests the skills of the drivers, plus the fans and city really get behind the race and support it which makes for a great environment to race in!”

After winning Round Two at Daytona, Thomas comes into St. Pete leading the points as he chases an unprecedented third title. He is followed by a pair of rookies, Ethan Goulart (No. 29 Saito Motorsports Group) and Ren Messinger (No. 3 McCumbee McAleer Racing), foreshadowing a tremendous Rookie of the Year fight for 2025.

There are 13 rookies entered for Rounds Three and Four, almost all of whom have never raced at a street circuit period, let alone this 1.8-mile track in the heart of St. Petersburg. That’s more than a third of this 35-car field.

In typical MX-5 Cup fashion, expect the finish to be a drag race down the Albert Whitted Airport runway. St. Pete produced a memorable finish in 2023, when Connor Zilisch exited the final corner in the lead, but Gresham Wagner drafted past Zilisch to take the win by a stunning 0.021-second.

Many MX-5 Cup top performers were caught up in a multi-car incident in Race 2 at Daytona, leaving them farther down the points order than they are used to. This includes Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 BSI Racing) who won Race 1 at Daytona, but only took home 10 points for his DNF in Race 2. Gonzalez will be one to watch this weekend. He’s shown multiple times that he is capable of winning at St. Pete, but has had the worst luck at this circuit.

This weekend is a chance for those who didn’t get the start to the season they wanted, to show what they’re capable of and chart a course for their 2025 season.

Watch both races live on the RACER and IMSA YouTube channels. Race 1 is slated for Saturday, March 1 at 4:25pm ET and Race 2 will take place Sunday, March 2 at 3:00pm ET.

About: The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Hennessey Creates 850 HP SUPER VENOM® Mustang Celebrating the Company’s Founding in 1991

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Official Release
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  • SUPER VENOM® Mustang receives 850 horsepower output and 650 lb-ft torque
  • Exclusive Hennessey ‘VenomAero’ carbon fiber aerodynamic enhancements boost handling for peak performance on road and track
  • Production limited to 91 units globally to commemorate the year Hennessey was founded, 1991
  • Orders are now being taken by authorized Hennessey Ford dealers including: Galpin Ford, Ken Grody Ford, 5-Star Ford, Riddick-Brown Ford, Kunes Ford, Veterans Ford of Tampa, and Sarchione Ford

SEALY, Texas, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hennessey, the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle creator, has revealed its new SUPER VENOM® Mustang featuring a wide range of performance, aerodynamic, and styling enhancements that create the ultimate Hennessey Mustang.

The Texas-based firm increase power of the factory 5.0L V8 engine by 70 percent boosting output from 500 bhp to 850 bhp alongside 55 percent higher torque – 650 lb-ft at 4,900 rpm. The SUPER VENOM® also features all-new bespoke ‘VenomAero’ carbon fiber performance kit that enhances handling and cooling to ensure Hennessey’s Mustang is the world’s most capable high-performance muscle car.

John Hennessey, company Founder, and CEO: “Over the years we have only branded our most potent cars with our ‘Venom’ trademark: Venom Vipers, Venom GT and most recently our Venom F5. We are excited to unveil our SUPER VENOM Mustang as it offers supercar performance and can now be ordered directly from Ford dealers with a full warranty! Further, we are excited to commemorate our company’s founding in 1991 by offering only 91 units and a unique ’91 Icon’ livery.”

Performance enhancements see Hennessey add a high-flow air induction system, high-performance supercharger, upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pump, plus Hennessey’s engine management system to boost the Coyote 5.0-liter V8 engine’s power to 850 bhp. The in-house designed and developed, fully carbon fiber ‘VenomAero’ kit consists of a more aggressive front splitter, a functional front hood vent, side skirts, functional front fender louvers, a rear deck lid with an integrated duck bill, and a tall, fixed, rear track wing.

Available to order directly through authorized Ford dealers as well as via Hennessey direct, the SUPER VENOM Dark Horse is priced at $163,950 while the SUPER VENOM GT starts at $149,950. Both builds benefit from the full Ford factory warranty, plus a three year / 36,000-mile Hennessey limited warranty for absolute peace of mind.

Brian Jones, Hennessey VP of Engineering: “The Hennessey VenomAero track pack enhancements deliver improved handling and grip when driving the SUPER VENOM Mustang hard on road or track. We’ve also achieved better cooling, and added a suite of aerodynamic devices to ensure our version of the Mustang delivers at the pinnacle of performance.”

Ford’s stock Dark Horse has 500 bhp and can hit 60 mph from stationary in 3.7 seconds, in 10-speed auto form. Hennessey’s uprated SUPER VENOM Mustang achieves the same speed in just 3.2 seconds. The standard Dark Horse covers the ¼ mile in 12 seconds at 118.4 mph. Hennessey betters this benchmark too, with the auto SUPER VENOM Mustang covering the same distance in 10.9 seconds at 133 mph.

Ordering the complete package direct from an authorized Ford dealer or Hennessey, customers can opt for three bespoke liveries – available in black, silver, and red – to pair with the factory paint color. The SUPER VENOM’s ‘91 Icon Livery – a nod to the founding year of Hennessey Performance – adds visual distinctiveness, enhanced further by 20-inch lightweight performance wheels, Hennessey and SUPER VENOM badging, plus the Hennessey signature logo ghosted into the rear wing.

Nathan Malinick, Hennessey Director of Design: “We worked hard to celebrate the esteemed Mustang bloodline with the design of our SUPER VENOM. With a unique interior and track-focused enhancements outside we recognize the iconic muscle car’s sporting heritage alongside that of Hennessey Performance.”

Hennessey’s in-house design team also transformed the interior, with bespoke Hennessey leather and Alcantara seats available in blue or black custom styles. Compatible with the comfort or Recaro sports seats, the unique Hennessey designs also feature an embossed Hennessey signature logo. Elsewhere, the team retrim the center console and the dash includes a tailor-made plaque detailing each SUPER VENOM Mustang’s individual serial number.

The SUPER VENOM Mustang package is available on both the GT coupe and Dark Horse platform in either 10-speed automatic or 6-speed manual form. Both variants are backed by the Ford factory warranty and Hennessey’s comprehensive 3-year / 36,000-mile limited warranty. Production of the new model is already underway at Hennessey’s Sealy, Texas HQ. Interested parties can find out more and place orders for global shipping through authorized Ford retailers (including: Galpin Ford, Ken Grody Ford, 5-Star Ford, Riddick-Brown Ford, Kunes Ford of Delevan, Veterans Ford of Tampa, and Sarchione Ford), or with Hennessey directly at HennesseyPerformance.com, or by calling +1.979.885.1300.

HENNESSEY SUPER VENOM® SPECIFICATIONS

Power
850 bhp @ 7,250 rpm
650 lb-ft Torque @ 4,900 rpm
 
Powertrain
High-Performance Supercharger System
High-Flow Air Induction Upgrade
Upgraded Fuel Injectors
Upgraded Fuel Pump
HPE Engine Management Calibration
Carbon Fiber Engine Trim
 
VenomAero
Carbon Fiber Front Splitter
Carbon Fiber Active Hood Vent
Carbon Fiber Functional Fender Louvers
Carbon Fiber Side Skirts
Carbon Fiber Rear Deck Lid
Carbon Fiber Lip Spoiler
Carbon Fiber Goose-Neck Track Wing
 
Exterior
Carbon Fiber Driver and Passenger Side Mirror Caps
20-Inch Lightweight Performance Wheels
Raised Hennessey ‘H’ Fender Badges
Hennessey Super Venom ‘91 Icon Livery
Hennessey Signature Script Trunk Lid Badging
 
Interior
Full Hennessey Leather and Alcantara Interior Upgrade
Hennessey Signature Logo Embossed in Driver and Passenger Backrest
Tailor-Made Hennessey Dash Plaque
Hennessey All-Weather Front Floor Mats
 
Other
Professional Installation
Chassis Dyno Tuning and Road Testing
Serial-Numbered Engine Plaque
3-Year / 36,000-Mile Limited Warranty
 
PRICE
$163,950

Package prices and contents are subject to change. Contact Hennessey Performance for details.

About Hennessey Performance
Based in Sealy, Texas, Hennessey comprises Hennessey Special Vehicles (HSV), Hennessey Performance (HPE), and Tuner School. The company has re-engineered more than 15,000 vehicles for performance enthusiasts worldwide to deliver unparalleled driving thrills. Alongside modifying a diverse range of sports and muscle cars since 1991, the company also applies its high-performance expertise to trucks and SUVs.

Every Hennessey product is dyno-proven, fully track-tested, street-legal, and warrantied. Customers can choose from road-ready performance-enhanced vehicles by Hennessey from various brands, including Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Jeep, and Ram, all benefitting from a host of high-performance upgrades.

With its own test track, engineering curriculum for aspiring tuners, 100 team members, and capacity to simultaneously work on around 50 vehicles, Hennessey Performance is one of the world’s leading specialist vehicle engineering companies. HennesseyPerformance.com

Henderson Motorsports reveals remaining eight Truck starts in 2025

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Mike Biskupski for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Henderson Motorsports took to social media to reveal the remainder of its racing plans throughout the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

The Abingdon, Virginia-based organization will return to action at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 11th, followed by the Truck Series’ highly anticipated return to Rockingham Speedway on April 18th. During both events, the series’ Triple Truck Challenge initiative will also be held, as those competing for Truck Series points will battle for the initiative’s bonus money.

The 2025 Truck season for Henderson Motorsports continues with a pair of North Carolina events at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17th and at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23rd. The organization will return to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 25th before competing in the series’ second visit to Bristol Motor Speedway on September 11th. Henderson will then cap off its 2025 Truck campaign with the series’ inaugural event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course on October 3rd before returning to Talladega Superspeedway on October 17th.

The news of Henderson Motorsports’ remaining Truck Series events of the 2025 season comes more than a week after the organization endured a roller coaster weekend during the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.

Henderson’s drama at Daytona started on February 14th, when Parker Kligerman had initially steered the organization’s No. 75 Chevrolet Silverado RST entry to a thrilling victory. Hours later, however, NASCAR disqualified Kligerman and Henderson from the victory due to the race-winning truck measuring too low in the rear during the post-race inspection process. As a result, Kligerman was demoted to the tail end of the final running order in 36th place, while runner-up finisher Corey Heim was declared the official winner.

Not long after the penalty was announced, Henderson took to social media to declare its intention to appeal the penalties. This past Thursday, however, a three-member appeals panel upheld the penalties levied on the organization and Kligerman, with no further appeal attempts to be made since the disqualification appeal process was expedited.

While Kligerman competed at Daytona with Henderson, he was not announced as a driver for the organization’s remaining Truck events of the 2025 season. However, he is expected to compete in search of redemption.

Since fielding the No. 75 entry in the Truck Series in 2012, Henderson Motorsports achieved two victories, nine top-five and 30 top-10 results. The organization’s two victories, which occurred at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2017 and at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in July 2022, were both registered by Kligerman, the latter of whom has three career victories to date. Additional competitors who have competed in the No. 75 Henderson entry include Caleb Holman, Sam Mayer, Stefan Parsons, Connor Zilisch, and Sean Hingorani, respectively.

Henderson Motorsports’ resumption of its 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season is scheduled for April 11th at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Weather Guard Truck Race. The event will be broadcast on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

5 Factors That Impact Many Car Accidents in the Atlanta Area

By
SM
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Atlanta has millions of people living in and around it. It’s a major metropolitan area. Many of them have cars and licenses to legally operate motor vehicles. 

Atlanta saw over 28K car wrecks in 2023, which shows that it’s dangerous for motorists. However, you should understand that certain factors impact these accidents. 

We’ll discuss some of them now. If you find you sometimes engage in some of the activities we’re mentioning in this article, you must change your ways to keep yourself and other drivers safe. 

Speeding

If you keep to the speed limit, you’ll never get in trouble with the cops, at least not for that reason. You also make it likelier that you can keep control of your vehicle in various road and highway situations. 

When you speed, whether that’s on one of the highways in the Atlanta area or on local roads, you make it easier to lose control of the vehicle. Maybe you tend to speed because you often leave the house at the last minute.

If that’s true, then you need to practice setting your alarm and getting on the road earlier. That way, you won’t feel you have to rush in order to get where you’re going on time. 

You also shouldn’t speed just because you want to test how fast your car can go. Just because the speedometer says that your vehicle can go up to 160 miles per hour, that doesn’t mean you should do it. 

Consuming Alcohol Before Driving

Just about every individual in the Atlanta area who becomes a licensed driver knows that you’re not supposed to drink alcohol before you drive. You probably learned about that in driving school, and likely you’re seen commercials on TV that warn against it as well.

However, if you’re drinking at a bar or a friend’s house, and you know that you’re not far from home, you might feel like you can make it back, even if you’re over the legal limit. Maybe you think that since you’re a good driver, you can just take things nice and slow, and you’ll get back home without incident.

It might work out that way, but it may not. Even if you exercise caution while driving drunk, you might still make a mistake that you wouldn’t if you hadn’t consumed any alcohol.

If you drink, then see if you can get a friend to give you a lift home. If no one can, then call for an Uber instead. You can come back and retrieve your car later. 

Driving While Fatigued

You might also cause an accident in the Atlanta area if you drive when you’re feeling fatigued. Maybe you’re putting in a lot of hours at work these days. Perhaps you have a new baby in the family, and you’re missing some sleep because they keep waking up during the night.

No matter what you have going on, you need to try to avoid driving when you’re practically asleep on your feet. Sometimes, you have no choice but to drive. If you do so when you’re feeling fatigue, though, you can at least do what you can to wake yourself up.

You can drive with the window open so that some fresh air gets into the car. You might drink a cup of coffee or chug an energy drink before you get behind the wheel.

You may also put on some up-tempo music that you know will stimulate you. If you feel like you’re in danger of falling asleep at the wheel, do whatever you can to make sure you’re fully awake and focusing on the road ahead and the other drivers and pedestrians around you. 

Road Rage Incidents

Some individuals in and around the Atlanta area cause accidents due to road rage. You have probably seen this kind of behavior before from your fellow drivers at some point.

Maybe you have a driver who’s speeding and aggressively changing lanes on the highway. If they’re behind a slower driver in the fast lane, maybe they start honking their horn or flashing their lights at them.

You never know why a person might act this way. Maybe their boss just fired them or they had an argument with a family member. Perhaps there’s something else going on that put them in a destructive mental state. 

If you feel upset about something, though, don’t ever take it out on the road with you. Take some cleansing breaths before you start the engine. 

If you need to, start meditating. You can download free meditation apps on your smartphone. By doing some deep breathing for just a few minutes each day, you should notice your blood pressure go down. You can drive defensively and not worry about causing an accident due to your aggressive driving behavior. 

Tailgating

Tailgating sometimes belongs in the aggressive driving category, but not necessarily. If you see someone doing this in Atlanta, you will know they could cause a crash at any moment.

Tailgating, if you’re unfamiliar, means you’re driving right behind someone and riding their rear bumper. Normally, you should keep at least three car lengths between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. That way, if the other driver has to stop suddenly, you can press down on the brakes in plenty of time, and you won’t hit them. 

If you tailgate, though, the driver ahead of you might brake check you. That means they will press down on the brakes suddenly. That’s ill advised, since you might hit them, but some people do this if they have someone tailgating them and they don’t like the behavior.

If you see an accident in or around the Atlanta area, it’s likely someone engaged in one of these activities, or more than one. It’s up to every driver to monitor their own behavior while they’re behind the wheel. By driving defensively and obeying traffic laws, you usually ensure that you’ll get home safely.

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