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Persistent Elbow Pain in Motorsports: What a Proper Review Should Cover

By
SM
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Photo by Pro Motion Media on Unsplash

Whether you are gripping a steering wheel through a long stint, working with tools in a race garage, or logging hours in a simulator, the elbow absorbs more strain than many people realize. Repeated steering corrections, vibration, heavy equipment, and fixed arm positions can all contribute to discomfort.

Elbow pain that continues despite rest and rehabilitation exercises does not automatically mean surgery is the next step. It does mean the original diagnosis, training or workload, equipment setup, and rehabilitation plan deserve another look.

That matters in a sport where physical capacity can influence concentration and performance. Because of the physical demands placed on NASCAR drivers, motorsport requires considerably more strength and endurance than spectators may see from outside the cockpit.

For a broader health perspective, this guide explains when persistent elbow pain may need advanced assessment.

The Source May Not Be the Elbow Alone

People often call pain on the outside of the elbow “tennis elbow,” even if they’ve never played tennis. Drivers, mechanics, and other people who repeatedly grip tools or controls can develop similar symptoms.

However, the label should not replace an examination. Pain around the elbow may arise from:

  • Tendons connecting the forearm muscles to the elbow
  • The elbow joint itself
  • Irritation or compression of a nerve
  • Symptoms referred from the neck or shoulder
  • A previous fracture, dislocation, or ligament injury
  • Repeated gripping combined with poor wrist positioning

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ overview of tennis elbow explains that repetitive use of the forearm muscles can damage the tendons attached to the outside of the elbow. Nevertheless, pain in this area is not always caused by the same condition.

A proper review should consider the exact location of the pain, whether grip strength has changed, and whether there is tingling, numbness, locking, or instability. Neck pain and symptoms that extend into the hand may indicate that a nerve also needs assessment.

Review the Demands of the Cockpit or Garage

A clinician cannot fully understand a motorsport-related problem without knowing what the injured person actually does.

For a driver, relevant factors may include:

  • Steering weight and feedback
  • Seat, wheel and shoulder position
  • The amount of elbow bend while driving
  • Vibration transmitted through the wheel
  • Time spent testing or competing
  • Recent changes to the car or simulator
  • Strength and conditioning exercises performed away from the track

Mechanics and pit-crew members may need to consider repetitive tool use, tire handling, lifting, awkward access positions and the pressure to complete tasks quickly. Symptoms may reflect the combined effect of several duties rather than one memorable incident.

Simulator setup also deserves attention. SpeedwayMedia’s guide to how sim racing is shaping motorsport training highlights the increasingly realistic ergonomics of modern simulators. That realism can support skill development, but long sessions with a poorly positioned wheel, an excessive force-feedback setting, or unsupported shoulders may repeatedly load the same tissues.

A useful assessment should therefore examine both the body and the environment in which it is being used.

Load Management Is More Precise Than Complete Rest

Stopping every activity may temporarily reduce symptoms, but rest alone does not rebuild the capacity needed for racing, wrenching or simulator work. At the other extreme, repeatedly testing the painful movement can keep the area irritated.

A rehabilitation plan should define:

  • Which activities can continue
  • How much discomfort is considered acceptable
  • Which symptoms indicate that the load is too high
  • How grip, wrist, elbow, and shoulder exercises will progress
  • When driving or tool-based duties can be reintroduced
  • How the response will be evaluated the following day

For example, reducing force feedback or shortening simulator sessions may help while capacity is rebuilt. A mechanic might temporarily rotate tasks or change tools rather than stopping all upper-limb activity. Drivers may need to modify gym exercises that require heavy gripping while continuing other conditioning work.

The objective is not to protect the elbow from every demand indefinitely. The goal is to rebuild tolerance in stages without repeatedly triggering a major flare-up.

Measure Function, Not Pain Alone

Pain scores provide useful information, but they should not be the only measure of progress. A better review may also consider:

  • Grip strength
  • Wrist and elbow range of motion
  • Ability to steer or operate tools
  • Tolerance for a defined simulator session
  • Sleep disruption
  • Recovery after training
  • Confidence using the affected arm

Pain may remain noticeable while function gradually improves. Conversely, pain that is unchanged alongside falling strength or spreading neurological symptoms requires closer attention.

Keeping a brief record can help. Note the task performed, its duration or intensity, symptoms during the activity, and the response later that day or the following morning. This provides better evidence than relying on a general impression that the elbow is “still bad.”

Check Whether the Rehabilitation Plan Is Specific Enough

Generic exercises may not prepare a driver or crew member for motorsport demands. The program should have a clear dose, purpose and progression.

Questions worth asking include:

  • Which structure is the exercise intended to strengthen?
  • How many repetitions, sets and weekly sessions are appropriate?
  • When should resistance increase?
  • Should discomfort during the exercise be expected?
  • How will the exercise progress towards steering or tool use?
  • Are shoulder, neck and upper-back factors also being addressed?

Open communication with the physiotherapist, sports physician, or other clinician is important. If an exercise consistently causes a prolonged flare-up, the answer may be to adjust its dose or technique—not necessarily to abandon rehabilitation altogether.

Advanced Care Starts With Better Information

Persistent pain does not automatically justify a scan. Imaging is most useful when it answers a defined clinical question or when the findings could change treatment.

Before requesting an X-ray, ultrasound or MRI scan, ask:

  • What condition is the clinician investigating?
  • Is the result likely to alter rehabilitation?
  • Could the scan reveal findings unrelated to the pain?
  • What will happen if the result is normal?
  • What are the alternatives?

NICE guidance on tennis elbow supports assessment based on the clinical picture rather than relying automatically on imaging.

When symptoms do not respond to an appropriate program, referral to a sports-medicine clinician, upper-limb specialist or orthopedic elbow surgeon may be reasonable. A specialist can reconsider the diagnosis and discuss whether further investigation, an injection, another procedure or surgery is appropriate. Referral does not mean an operation has already been decided.

Returning to Racing Requires More Than a Quiet Elbow

A return-to-racing decision should consider whether the person can safely perform the necessary task under realistic conditions. For a driver, this could include repeated steering inputs, emergency corrections, and safely exiting the vehicle. A mechanic may need to demonstrate controlled tool use, lifting, and sustained work without declining coordination.

A gradual return might progress from gym-based exercises to short simulator sessions, then controlled testing, and finally longer race demands. Symptoms during the activity, recovery afterward, and the following day’s performance all matter.

This staged approach reflects SpeedwayMedia’s broader discussion of safety, injury and support in motorsports. Returning too early may prolong a problem, while unnecessary restriction can also reduce fitness and confidence.

Practical Checklist for a Clinical Review

Before an appointment:

  • Identify the exact location of the pain.
  • List the movements, tools or steering actions that provoke it.
  • Mention numbness, tingling, neck pain, locking, or instability.
  • Record recent changes in training, workload, or equipment.
  • Bring details of the exercises already attempted.
  • Explain whether symptoms affect driving or safety-critical duties.
  • Ask how progress will be measured.
  • Ask what information imaging or specialist referral should provide.

If possible, photographs or short videos of the cockpit, simulator or working position can help a clinician understand the physical demands involved.

When Prompt Medical Assessment Matters

According to the NHS guidance on elbow and arm pain, urgent help may be required when pain follows a significant injury or is accompanied by severe swelling or difficulty moving the arm.

Prompt assessment is particularly important after:

  • A high-speed impact or major fall
  • Visible deformity
  • Inability to move the elbow
  • Rapidly increasing redness, heat or swelling
  • Fever or signs of infection
  • New weakness, numbness or loss of coordination
  • A hand that becomes unusually cold, pale or blue

A driver should not continue racing when arm symptoms interfere with steering, vehicle control or the ability to exit safely.

Final Thoughts

Persistent elbow pain does not prove rehabilitation has failed or that surgery is inevitable. It is a signal to reassess the diagnosis, the demands being placed on the arm and whether the current program is preparing the person for their actual role.

In motorsport, that means looking beyond the treatment room. Cockpit position, force feedback, tools, training volume and race-weekend workload may all affect recovery.

The most useful plan is specific, measurable and open to revision. It should explain what can continue, what should temporarily change, and what evidence will be used to decide the next step.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Can AI Preserve Emotion and Cultural Meaning in Film Translation?

By
SM
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A film can reach viewers in another country within minutes. Making sure they understand its emotions and cultural references is harder. A joke may depend on a local expression. A pause can convey anger or sadness. Even a simple sentence can change its emotional impact because of who says it and how it is delivered. This makes film translation services more complex than word-for-word conversion. The new version must sound natural without losing the original intent. AI has made this work faster. It can draft subtitles, process long scripts, and handle large amounts of dialogue. However, some parts of a film still require careful human attention.

The Words Are Only Part of the Story

A film communicates through more than language alone. Facial expression, music, silence, gesture, and interaction among characters may all influence the interpretation of the dialogue. As an example, consider the following: Fine, do whatever you like. The phrase could express genuine permission, frustration, or disappointment, depending on the situation. The language remains constant, but the context influences the meaning conveyed. This is precisely the reason why it is essential for the translator to view and listen to the movie, rather than translating from the script alone.

Cultural References Can Be Difficult to Transfer

Films contain references that local viewers recognize immediately. A character might mention a famous person, television show, food, festival, sport, or historical event. Someone in another country may not understand the reference. Keeping the original name can preserve the detail but lose its purpose. A translator may need to keep it, explain it briefly, simplify it, or locate a closer reference. The choice depends on the type of film and the role of the reference. A serious drama may need a different approach from a comedy. This is also where cultural knowledge becomes useful. A reviewer familiar with the target market can identify details that may sound unclear to local viewers.

Humor Puts Translation to the Test

Comedy can be difficult to carry from one language to another. Some jokes depend on wordplay or pronunciation. Others use slang, local knowledge, or references that the original audience already knows. A literal version may be accurate but no longer funny. The translator may need to rewrite the line. The wording can change as long as the joke serves the same purpose and fits the character. 

Research on translated comedy has examined these issues in both subtitled and dubbed content. Studies of culture-specific humor also show why local references can create problems across markets. This is one area where professional video translation services require more than language conversion. Dialogue may need cultural adaptation, matching the tone and timing of the scene.

A Correct Subtitle Can Still Fail

AI can produce a grammatically correct subtitle that does not work well on screen. Screen space is limited, and viewers have only a few seconds to read each line. A long sentence may need to be shortened. The difficult part is deciding what can be removed. A repeated phrase may not matter. An important detail might. Cutting the wrong words can weaken the exchange or change the character’s tone. Research on subtitling has highlighted constraints related to reading speed, screen space, cultural references, and different forms of speech. AI can suggest shorter versions, but the final subtitle needs to be checked with the video.

Emotion Depends on the Situation

Words do not always carry the same emotional weight. A goodbye, argument, or reunion can change how the same phrase is received. One study examined how expressions of love in English were translated in Japanese subtitles and dubbing across 50 films. It found that translation choices can vary according to relationships and situations. This shows why emotional dialogue needs more than a dictionary equivalent. The translator must understand the relationship between the characters and what is happening at that moment.

Subtitles and Dubbing Work Differently

Subtitles and dubbing have separate requirements. A subtitle needs to be short and easy to read. A dubbed line needs to sound natural when spoken. Timing and delivery may also need to match the performance. A sentence that looks fine in writing can sound stiff when spoken aloud. This can be especially noticeable in comedy and dramatic scenes. Rhythm affects a joke, while delivery can change the impact of an emotional line.

Character voice also matters. Someone who normally speaks casually should not suddenly sound formal because of the new language. Research comparing dubbed and subtitled content has found that viewer responses can vary with their intercultural experience. This suggests that localization choices should consider the people watching the content.

What AI Can Handle

AI can take care of many repetitive tasks. It can prepare first drafts, identify repeated terms, organize dialogue, and process long scripts. This becomes useful when a project contains many videos or language versions. It also gives translators a starting point instead of requiring them to work from an empty page. Still, the draft needs checking. Tone, cultural details, character voice, timing, and readability can all affect the final result.

Where Human Review Matters

Certain parts of a film need closer attention, including:

  • humor and wordplay
  • slang and dialect
  • cultural references
  • sensitive subjects
  • emotional dialogue
  • character-specific speech
  • subtitles with strict timing and space limits 

A reviewer can notice problems that may not appear in a sentence-by-sentence review.

  • Does the character sound natural?
  • Does the joke still work?
  • Will the target audience understand the reference?
  • Has the tone changed?
  • Does the subtitle fit what is happening on screen?

Research comparing AI-generated and human translations of humorous dialogue has also found that AI can perform well in some situations. This suggests that the two approaches can complement each other rather than being treated as complete alternatives.

A Practical Human-AI Workflow

A film project does not have to be fully manual or fully automated. AI can prepare the first draft. A translator can refine the language. A cultural reviewer can verify local references. An editor can review tone and consistency. A subtitle specialist can check timing and readability. The finished version should then be watched with the actual video. A line that looks fine in a document may stay on screen too long. A dubbed sentence may read naturally but sound awkward when spoken. Checking the final version in context helps catch these problems before release.

Conclusion 

A strong translation does not have to use the same words as the original. A joke may need to be rewritten. A cultural reference may need adaptation. What matters is preserving the purpose and effect of the scene. Viewers should understand the character, follow the story, and receive the intended emotion. AI can speed up production and reduce repetitive work. But films combine dialogue, acting, sound, images, timing, and culture. That makes film localization fundamentally different from translating ordinary written content. As AI becomes more common in localization, film translation services can use automation for speed while keeping skilled translators involved where cultural detail, character voice, and emotion matter most.

Discovering the Different Types of Pusoy Online Games

By
SM
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Pusoy online games often feature multiple versions, all sharing the classic 13-card structure but distinguished by unique gameplay elements and conditions. Platforms like GameZone showcase variants that add twists to traditional gameplay, including features such as card swapping and jackpot functionality. Recognizing these distinctions helps players navigate the versions, ensuring clarity around the specific rules governing each one before playing.

Overview of Main Online Pusoy Variants

Various platforms offer their own takes on Pusoy, but some lead the way in demonstrating how the game’s format can vary. GameZone notably provides three distinct versions, illustrating different ways the 13-card Pusoy game can be experienced online. It is crucial not to confuse Pusoy with Pusoy Dos, as the latter is a separate card game possessing different rules and objectives.

Pusoy Plus

This variant closely follows the classic Pusoy design involving 13 cards. Players must arrange these cards into three hands: a three-card Front hand and two five-card hands known as the Middle and Back. Matches pit players directly against one another rather than AI opponents, focusing on real-time player-versus-player intensity. The format is straightforward and representative of traditional Pusoy play within an online competitive environment.

Entry fees or betting limits commonly apply to Pusoy Plus, typically ranging from ₱5 to ₱500, with ₱20 chosen frequently as a default buy-in amount. These monetary terms operate alongside but independently of the core gameplay mechanics involved in organizing and comparing hands.

Pusoy Wild

This version takes the foundational Pusoy rules and enriches them by incorporating a card-swapping mechanic. Players gain a strategic option to exchange some cards during gameplay, which influences hand management and tactical decision-making. Understanding when and how cards may be swapped according to game rules is essential since not all online implementations of Pusoy Wild handle this feature identically. Familiarity with the swap conditions offered by a specific platform enhances competitive potential.

This dimension introduces an advanced layer of control over the initial hand, broadening the scope of possible strategies and making gameplay more dynamic.

Pusoy Jackpot

Built on the traditional Pusoy base, the Jackpot variant adds a different dimension by intertwining classic card play with jackpot-based incentives and conditions. A distinctive feature within this variant is the “Winner Takes All” mechanic, which must be activated for players to compete for jackpot prizes. Wagers of ₱10 or higher typically enable access to major jackpot opportunities, including both Grand and Major jackpots.

Jackpot mode emphasizes risk and reward, contrasting with other variants that mainly focus on hand construction and comparison. Importantly, the jackpot features extend but do not replace the usual 13-card hand rules, offering thrilling possibilities alongside familiar gameplay.

How Do Online Pusoy Variants Differ?

Though united by the classic 13-card format, each variant introduces special traits setting it apart:

VariantDistinctive Element
Pusoy PlusTraditional PvP 13-card Pusoy format
Pusoy WildIntroduction of card-swapping mechanics
Pusoy Jackpot“Winner Takes All” feature and jackpot prizes

The shared card structure forms the foundation, but extra mechanics transform the playing experience significantly. Pusoy Plus focuses on solid PvP competition, Pusoy Wild encourages creative card management via swaps, and Pusoy Jackpot combines the thrill of jackpots with traditional hands. These differences highlight why “Pusoy online” does not represent a single, standardized set of rules universally. Instead, platforms often adapt the format to appeal to different tastes.

Key Aspects to Review Before Playing a Pusoy Version

Each version may operate under specific rules and entry conditions, so taking time to check important details helps avoid surprises and prepares players effectively. A helpful pre-play checklist might include:

  • Variant Identification: Confirm the exact version being accessed, whether Plus, Wild, Jackpot, or another.
  • Card Distribution and Arrangement: Understand how cards will be dealt and hands structured.
  • Special Mechanics: Look out for game-specific features like swapping or jackpot triggers.
  • Entry Requirements: Verify betting or buy-in limits applicable to the game session.
  • Jackpot Access: For jackpot-inclusive games, review the criteria and procedures for participating.
  • Opponents Format: Confirm whether the game pits players against humans or computer-controlled bots.
  • Updated Rules: Read the game instructions on the platform carefully to grasp any ongoing adjustments or unique rules.

Having this information in advance can substantially improve a player’s experience and readiness.

Where Are These Pusoy Versions Accessible?

Access to Pusoy’s diverse variants varies depending on the chosen platform. GameZone emerges as an example housing Pusoy Plus, Pusoy Wild, and Pusoy Jackpot as standalone options for users. Because each variant hosts distinct rules, entry fees, and bonus features, reviewing game information individually when selecting a version becomes crucial.

Other platforms may feature unique or custom Pusoy editions, reinforcing the importance of reviewing gameplay and regulations thoroughly before investing time or money.

Final Thoughts

The world of online Pusoy presents more options than a single familiar format. Variants such as Pusoy Plus, Wild, and Jackpot illustrate how a shared 13-card foundation can adapt to varied mechanics and player preferences. Awareness of the type of game being played along with its entry conditions and special features enables a richer, more informed online Pusoy experience.

FAQs

Q1. Are the rules uniform across all Pusoy online variants?
Rule consistency does not apply; while all variants use the 13-card format, they differ in mechanics, conditions, and special features depending on version and platform.

Q2. What makes Pusoy Plus, Wild, and Jackpot different?
Pusoy Plus centers on the classic PvP setup; Pusoy Wild integrates card swapping; Pusoy Jackpot includes jackpots and “Winner Takes All” bonuses.

Q3. Do Pusoy rules change across different online sites?
Yes, platforms can offer distinctive versions with unique conditions, making it important to review game specifics beforehand.

This guide serves as an overview of common Pusoy versions encountered online. Gaining familiarity with their nuances helps players select the best options and engage with the games confidently and effectively.

Front Row Motorsports: Las Vegas Motor Speedway NCS Race Advance (Noah Gragson, Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith)

By
Official Release
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Front Row Motorsports
Noah Gragson | Todd Gilliland | Zane Smith
Las Vegas Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series Race Advance

Event Details:

Series: NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track Size / Surface: 1.5-miles / Asphalt
Track Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Race Date: October 4, 2026
Race Start Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Race Information: 267 Laps (Stages – 80 / 165 / 267) – 400.5 Miles
Television: USA
Radio: SiriusXM / PRN

Event Notes:

  • 31st points-paying event of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. 33rd on-track event overall this season for the series.
  • Second NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Speedway this season.
  • Fifth race of The Chase, the NASCAR Cup Series postseason.

No. 4 Team Details

Driver: Noah Gragson

Crew Chief: Grant Hutchens

Primary Sponsor: Rush Truck Centers

Standings: 31st

Recent Season Results:

Kansas Speedway (September 27) – 36th
Bristol Motor Speedway (September 19) – 16th
World Wide Technology Raceway (September 13) – 33rd

Driver and Team Event Notes

Noah Gragson will make his eighth Las Vegas Motor Speedway start this Sunday. In seven previous NASCAR Cup Series start at the track, Gragson has three top-15 finishes, with his best result of sixth occurring in the March 2024 event.

The hometown hero has an impressive NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Part Series record at the 1.5-mile track, recording seven top-five finishes in eight starts.

Rush Truck Centers Event Notes

Rush Truck Centers, the premier solutions provider for the commercial vehicle industry, will again join Gragson and company for the 267-lap race. This weekend will be Rush Truck Centers’ 11th primary sponsorship race of the season.

With a commitment to keeping customers up and running, Rush Truck Centers proudly serves the mountain west region, with nearby locations in Las Vegas (Nev.), St. George (Utah) and Flagstaff (Ariz.).

For the haul to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and each week during the NASCAR Cup Series season, the Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse race cars are transported to the track behind the power of Peterbilt Model 579 tractors, provided and serviced exclusively by the team at Rush Truck Centers. To find the Rush Truck Centers location nearest to you, visit rushtruckcenters.com.

No. 34 Team Details

Driver: Todd Gilliland

Crew Chief: Chris Lawson

Primary Sponsor: Love’s Travel Stop’s

Standings: 22nd

Recent Season Results:

Kansas Speedway (September 27) – 19th
Bristol Motor Speedway (September 19) – 19th
World Wide Technology Raceway (September 13) – 24th

Driver and Team Event Notes

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race will mark Todd Gilliland’s 10th series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Gilliland has scored four top-10 finishes in seven starts at the track.

Love’s Travel Stops Event Notes

Love’s Travel Stops returns with Gilliland and the No. 34 team for Sunday’s race.

This will be Love’s Travel Stops 16th race of the 2026 season with Gilliland and the No. 34 Ford team.

Love’s Travel Stops has rolled out a major update to the Love’s App, introducing a unified Love’s Rewards program that now benefits every customer who stops at Love’s. Whether fueling up, grabbing a snack, or stocking up on Love’s-branded products, customers can now save and earn points at every turn simply by scanning the Love’s App in-store or at the pump.

The new Love’s Rewards program focuses on delivering meaningful value at every stop and aims to make Love’s the first stop drivers think of on the road. Love’s Rewards App users can also save 10¢ per gallon on gas and up to 25¢ per gallon on auto diesel. Fans can download the app from Google Play and the Apple App Store. To explore all the new benefits of the Love’s Rewards program, visit www.loves.com/loves-rewards.

No. 38 Team Details

Driver: Zane Smith

Crew Chief: Ryan Bergenty

Primary Sponsor: Losi RC Cars

Standings: 27th

Recent Season Results:

Kansas Speedway (September 27) – 31st
Bristol Motor Speedway (September 19) – 28th
World Wide Technology Raceway (September 13) – 36th

Driver and Team Event Notes

Zane Smith will make his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. In five previous starts, Smith’s best result occurred in the March 2026 event, when he started 12th and finished 14th.

In the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Smith has five top-10 finishes at the track, over seven starts.

Losi RC Cars Event Notes

The No. 38 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will carry Horizon Hobby’s Losi brand with a scheme that was unveiled at Front Row Motorsports’ 2026 Fan Day in May and debuted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Horizon Hobby and its Losi brand have strategically built a footprint in NASCAR for RC enthusiasts and racing fans alike, becoming the officially licensed maker of NASCAR RC cars.

In 2024, Horizon Hobby debuted six NASCAR Cup Series schemes, including the No. 34 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse. All current offerings can be found at your local RC dealer or online at www.horizonhobby.com/nascar/.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit FrontRowMotorsports.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

Spire Motorsports South Point 400 Race Advance

By
Official Release
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  • In 31 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), Spire Motorsports has one pole and 10 top-20 finishes. Justin Haley earned the team’s best result in March 2025 with a 14th-place effort. Spire Motorsports fields the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the Cup Series with Daniel Suárez, Michael McDowell and Carson Hocevar, respectively.
  • The NASCAR Cup Series will contest the fifth race of The Chase Sunday at LVMS. Hocevar and Suárez sit 11th and 16th, respectively in the championship standings. McDowell is 20th in points following last week’s race at Kansas Speedway.
  • The South Point 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised live on USA Network Sunday, Oct. 4 beginning at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The 31st of 36 points-paying races on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series calendar will also be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Daniel Suárez – Driver, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Suárez will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).
  • Freeway Insurance was established in 1987. Freeway Insurance is one of the largest and fastest-growing personal lines insurance brokers in the United States, offering coverage through a “click, call, or come in” approach that connects customers nationwide. The company continually researches, grows, and diversifies its product offerings to stay responsive to the evolving insurance market. Freeway provides a wide range of options—from basic to premium coverage—in auto, truck, commercial vehicle, homeowners, renters, small business, motorcycle, recreational vehicle, fire, and flood insurance. In 2008, Freeway Insurance became part of Confie, the nation’s leading personal lines insurance distribution company. Customers can access Freeway Insurance through neighborhood offices, online at www.freeway.com, or by calling (800) 300-0227.
  • In 18 Cup Series starts at LVMS, Suárez has earned two top-five, four top-10 and 13 top-20 finishes. He’s also led 168 laps, the most he’s led at any track on the Cup Series schedule. In his last 10 races at LVMS, the veteran driver has finished inside the top 20 in all but one.
  • In March’s trip at the “Diamond in the Desert”, Suárez started 13th and ultimately finished 18th.
  • Last fall at LVMS, Suárez ran inside the top 15 for much of the day but finished 20th after pit-road miscues hampered his day.
  • The No. 7 Chevrolet team has delivered a 15.3 average finish in 30 races this season. Suárez has logged one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes, including 22 top 20s. He enters Sunday’s race ranked 16th in the standings, 13 positions better than he was at this point last season.
  • Last week at Kansas Speedway, Suárez started 14th and spent a portion of the day racing inside the top 10, before ultimately finishing14th, to earn his 16th top-15 finish of the season.
  • The newly minted father brings 352 Cup Series starts of experience to the field, along with victories at Sonoma Raceway (June 2022), Atlanta Motor Speedway (February 2024) and Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 2026). A 10-year veteran of NASCAR’s premier division, he has earned 27 top-five and 82 top-10 finishes since making his Cup Series debut in 2017. Suárez has also led 949 laps and collected three career poles.
  • Daniel Suárez Quote
  • Heading back to Vegas, what are your thoughts on the fall race?
  • “Vegas has been a really good track for me over the years and I feel like we’ve been able to find a good balance there. We’ve had some strong runs and led a lot of laps, so hopefully we can put everything together again this weekend. It’s a long race, but I’m looking forward to it and hopefully we can put ourselves in position to fight for a good finish.”

Ryan Sparks – Crew Chief, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Ryan Sparks is the crew chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 with driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • Sparks has called 231 Cup Series races, earning five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes since making his debut in NASCAR’s premier division atop the pit box in 2020.
  • The Winston-Salem, N.C., native’s best result at LVMS came in Spring 2022, where he led the No. 7 team to a 15th-place finish. Sparks has called 12 races at LVMS and overall, led the charge in 110 races on intermediate tracks, resulting in one victory, three top-five and six top-10 finishes.
  • Sparks joined Spire Motorsports in 2021, when he served as both Crew Chief and Competition Director, leading the organization’s competitive and technical efforts. In 2026, Sparks serves in a singular role as crew chief for Daniel Suárez. He brings more than a decade of experience across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series, highlighted by 13 seasons at Richard Childress Racing and contributions to title-winning campaigns in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (2011) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2013).

Michael McDowell – Driver, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Michael McDowell will pilot Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Fly Alliance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s South Point 400.
  • Fly Alliance is a global private aviation company providing on-demand charter, jet card memberships, aircraft management, maintenance, and parts services. Headquartered at Orlando (Fla.) Executive Airport, the company serves clients across North America, Europe, and the Middle East with a commitment to precision, performance, and concierge-level service. Led by CEO, President and Co-Founder Christopher Tasca, Fly Alliance is built on innovation and operational excellence. Chris brings those same values to Tasca Motorsports, where racing serves as a natural extension of the Fly Alliance brand and its pursuit of performance on and off the track.
  • After 25 Cup Series starts at LVMS, McDowell is still searching for his first top-15 finish at the popular mile-and-a-half oval, located just 17 miles north of the famous Las Vegas Strip. In March 2025, McDowell won pole for the Pennzoil 400 and went on the finish 16th. The top starting spot marked Spire Motorsports’ first Busch Light Pole Award after McDowell toured the racetrack in 28.833 seconds (186.961 mph). He matched that same finish when the series returned for the second time later that fall. In the division’s most recent visit this March, the veteran racer started 30th and finished 26th.
  • While McDowell originally hails from Glendale, Ariz., he and his older brother, Billy, moved to Las Vegas while he was still a teenager to pursue opportunities in the karting business where they built, sold and raced karts.
  • The 2021 Daytona 500 Champion has made a pair of NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts at LVMS, highlighted by a sixth-place finish in 2009.
  • Last weekend at Kansas Speedway, the father-of-five started 22nd, persevered through handing issues, but came away with a disappointing 27th-place finish.
  • Over the first 30 races of the season, McDowell has led 24 laps while logging three top-five and six top-10 finishes. He’s recorded a 16.7 average start, a 19.1 average finish and currently sits 20th in points.
  • Michael McDowell Quotes
  • Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been a challenge for you in the Cup Series. What are your thoughts heading into this weekend?
  • “Building on our 1.5-mile program is important with Las Vegas and Charlotte coming on back-to-back weekends. We have had some speed on those types of tracks. We sat on the pole at Las Vegas last spring, and Daniel (teammate Daniel Suárez) won at Charlotte this year. We had mechanical issues in March so that kept us from finishing better. We certainly expect to see some improvement this weekend.”

You’ve also got some personal history in Las Vegas.
“Outside of the racetrack, Vegas was an important part of my career. It is where my brother and I first took the first steps in my professional racing journey. We built and raced go-karts not too far from LVMS, and I learned so much during that time. That’s an important reason I always look forward to racing in Las Vegas.”

Travis Peterson – Crew Chief, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Travis Peterson serves as the Crew Chief for driver Michael McDowell and Spire Motorsports’ No. 71 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • Across 142 starts serving in the crew chief role, Peterson has captured one win, eight poles, 10 top-five, and 29 top-10 finishes.
  • In seven previous races at LVMS, Peterson has led his team to one pole, four top-20, and six top-25 finishes, all with McDowell at the wheel.
  • Peterson is a mechanical engineering graduate of the Williams States Lee College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The West Bend, Wis., native earned his degree in 2012.

Carson Hocevar – Driver, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Carson Hocevar will race Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s South Point 400, the fifth of 10 races in The Chase.
  • Spectrum is a suite of advanced communications services offered by Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR), the leading broadband and video company in the nation and the fastest growing mobile provider in its footprint, with services available to more than 70 million homes and small to large businesses across 45 states. Founded in 1993, Charter has evolved from providing cable TV to streaming, and from high-speed Internet to a converged broadband, WiFi and mobile experience. Over the Spectrum Fiber Broadband Network and supported by our 100% U.S.-based employees, the Company offers Seamless Connectivity and Entertainment with Spectrum Internet®, Mobile, TV and Voice products. 
  • Hocevar and the No. 77 team, alongside teammate Daniel Suarez and Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 team, are competing for 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Championship honors. The opportunity marks the first appearance in The Chase for Hocevar and the first time a Spire Motorsports team will compete for a Cup Series title. Through four of 10 races in The Chase, the No. 77 team sits 11th in points, just 10 markers behind ninth.
  • Through 30 races, the Portage, Mich., native has already set career-highs in multiple categories:
  • Season-to-date results – one win, six top fives, 11 top 10s
  • 198 laps led
  • 785 points scored
  • 12.2 average start
  • 16.3 average finish
  • The 23-year-old driver has been one of the most improved on the circuit throughout the 2026 campaign. The team’s average starting position has improved by over five spots compared to this point in 2025, while its average finish has improved by 4.4 positions. Hocevar is on pace to improve his average finish by 5.3 positions by season’s end – the fourth-best of all drivers – while his 11th position in points is a 13-position improvement compared to the end of 2025 – the third-best improvement across the field.
  • Hocevar owns six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas, where he secured a venue-best 15th-place finish last March.
  • In the series’ first of two 2026 visits to the “Diamond in the Desert” in March, Hocevar started 19th and worked his way inside the top 10 by Stage 2. Unfortunately, a tire issue with five laps remaining in the second segment forced him to pit road under green-flag conditions where he lost a lap to the leaders, ultimately leaving him 22nd in the final rundown.
  • The six-time CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race winner owns four previous starts at LVMS, registering a series/venue-best seventh-place result in March 2023.
  • Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 77 Chevy started and finished fourth in Stage 1, scoring seven stage points. He continued to manage top-10 track position in Stage 2 until contact on a Lap-121 restart left him with right-front and splitter damage to his machine. The No. 77 team worked to complete repairs, but the change in balance and grip made advancing through the field difficult, ultimately leaving Hocevar three laps off the pace, with a 33rd-place finish.
  • Hocevar registered his first-career victory earlier this season at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. He survived a late-race restart with three laps remaining and brought home the checkered flag to register Spire Motorsports’ second Cup Series win and first since the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400.
  • Carson Hocevar Quote
  • Coming off a tough week at Kansas, are you optimistic looking at the remainder of the schedule?
  • “I think so. There are some really good tracks coming up for us. Last week we were fast until we got caught up in that crash. It looked like a bunch of guys in the Chevrolet camp showed a lot of speed too, so I think there is a lot to look forward to.”

Luke Lambert – Crew Chief, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

  • Luke Lambert is the Crew Chief of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Carson Hocevar.
  • Lambert is in his third season at Spire Motorsports and fourth with Hocevar. The duo has logged two pole awards, one win, nine top-five and 26 top-10 finishes in 110 races.
  • The 16-year veteran crew chief has called 20 NASCAR Cup Series events at LVMS, earning one top five and four top 10s, highlighted by a third-place finish with Ryan Newman in March 2015.
  • In three NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at Las Vegas, Lambert-prepared cars have yet to finish outside the top-three. He and driver Noah Gragson earned a pair of runner-up finishes at the venue in 2022.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado its first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent victory came May 24, 2026, when Daniel Suárez won the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports campaigns the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization also fields the No. 77 410 sprint car in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing competition.

Resident Evel: Las Vegas’ Evel Knievel Experience Rides With Cody Ware in South Point 400

By
Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 29, 2026) – Evel Knievel created an incredible highlight reel of jumping buses on his motorcycle. His mesmerizing leaps made for must-see TV and captured global attention throughout the 1970s and ’80s. Despite his passing almost 19 years ago at the age of 69, Knievel remains an icon whose legacy is promoted by Rick Ware Racing (RWR).

RWR team owner Rick Ware is a Los Angeles native who grew up amid Southern California’s car culture, which included hot rods at Pomona, stock cars, sports cars and Indy cars at Riverside, and motorcycles that ripped around the dirt at Ascot. He saw Knievel’s rise to prominence in person and in real time. Today, as a successful owner who fields entries across multiple motorsports disciplines, Ware is doing his part to ensure that Knievel’s place in Americana remains strong. He secured a marketing partnership with the Knievel family and is using Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to promote the recently opened Evel Knievel Experience in Las Vegas.

“Evel Knievel didn’t just ride a motorcycle – he flew it,” said Ware, owner of the No. 51 Chevrolet that his son, Cody, drives in the Cup Series. “I remember watching him jump buses, fountains, anything you could line up in front of him, and he made it a must-see event every time. I didn’t just see it on television, I was there. His career was filled with jaw-dropping moments that people will never forget. Being able to promote the Evel Knievel Experience in Las Vegas through our race team is our way of keeping those legendary feats front and center.”

The museum is located in Las Vegas’ downtown Arts District and features a range of mementos from Knievel’s career, with his lineup of motorcycles and star-spangled leather suits prominently displayed. Following Sunday’s race at Las Vegas, a different kind of racing suit will be added to the collection – Cody Ware’s firesuit, which mimics the iconic design of Knievel’s leathers and will be worn in Sunday’s South Point 400.

“Never in a million years would I have ever thought a firesuit of mine would be in any museum, let alone the Evel Knievel Experience,” said the 30-year-old Ware, who will make his 173rd career Cup Series start on Sunday. “To have something of mine represent even a fraction of all the history inside the Evel Knievel Experience is a true honor.”

Knievel would certainly appreciate Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Located just 15 miles north of the Strip up Interstate 15, the 1.5-mile oval is a fast, sweeping racetrack. Drivers lap its D-shaped layout in under 30 seconds at average speeds approaching 185 mph. With its corners banked at 20 degrees, two- and three-wide racing is common, and its aged asphalt offers enough grip for drivers to move around the racetrack in search of more speed.

“Vegas is one of my favorite tracks to go to on the schedule. It’s got a lot of character,” Cody Ware said. “Being out in the desert, it can be a little bit dusty, and you have some pretty significant bumps, especially over in the corners. You have to be very cognizant of your corner entry and the line you’re taking, because if you hit those bumps in turns one and two just the wrong way, it could end your day pretty quickly.

“And with the different lines you can run, you can find ways to make the car work for you even if your car isn’t exactly where you want it. If you don’t have a good handle on your car, there’s about a lane-and-a-half you can use in turns one and two. But if your car is handling well, you can take those bumps aggressively. That opens up a lot of racing opportunities from the bottom of the racetrack all the way to the wall.”

Getting a good-handling racecar means finding equilibrium between mechanical balance and aero balance.

“You have to have a lot of aero grip and a lot of downforce built into the car to make sure you can run aggressively, especially as tire degradation goes on during the run. That, and just compliance and platform control over the bumps in (turns) one and two,” Ware said.

Ware and his Cup Series counterparts raced at Las Vegas more than six months ago, when the air was cool. They return after the track has been baking beneath Nevada’s scorching sun. Despite another summer of intense weathering, Ware expects the asphalt to have the same feel it did in March.

“We race Las Vegas early in our season and then close to the end of our season, so the weather isn’t too drastic of a change for us. It’s the most consistent mile-and-a-half track we go to,” Ware said.

Ware aims to leverage that consistency into fast, repeatable lap times, a process that begins Saturday with practice at 1:30 p.m. PDT/4:30 p.m. EDT followed by qualifying at 2:35 p.m. PDT/5:35 p.m. EDT. TruTV and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will provide live coverage of both. Sunday’s South Point 400 goes green at 2:30 p.m. PDT/5:30 p.m. EDT with live, flag-to-flag coverage delivered by USA Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Rick Ware Racing:

Rick Ware has been a motorsports mainstay for more than 40 years. The third-generation racer first got behind the wheel at age 6, beginning a career that has since spanned four wheels and two wheels on both asphalt and dirt. Competing in the SCCA Trans Am Series and other road-racing divisions led Ware to NASCAR in the early 1980s. He finished third in his NASCAR debut – the 1983 Warner W. Hodgdon 300 NASCAR Grand American race at Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway. More than a decade later, injuries forced Ware out of the driver’s seat and into full-time team ownership. In 1995, Rick Ware Racing was formed, and with his wife Lisa by his side, Ware has since built his eponymous organization into an entity that competes full-time in the elite NASCAR Cup Series while simultaneously campaigning successful teams in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Progressive American Flat Track, FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX) and zMAX CARS Tour.

Niece Motorsports To Host Fan Day Event Ahead of Charlotte Race Weekend

By
Official Release
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SALISBURY, NC (Sept. 29, 2026) – Niece Motorsports welcomes fans to its race shop for its second-annual Fan Day event on Thursday, October 8, ahead of the NASCAR triple-header race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The organization, which was formed in 2016, hosted its inaugural Fan Day event in front of a large crowd last October, and looks to expand the festivities further this year. Conveniently located under half an hour away from the track, Niece Motorsports’ shop is a great location to kick off race week.

Among the activities scheduled for the event include an autograph session, live interviews, a special paint scheme unveiling, partner activation displays, shop tours, and team merchandise sales.

Drivers Ross Chastain, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Landen Lewis, Ron Hornaday, Andrés Pérez de Lara, Tyler Reif, Parker Eatmon, Conner Jones, Connor Hall, Donovan Strauss, Ben Maier, and Matt Mills will all participate in an autograph session from 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM.

Team partners including Acceptance Insurance, Circle B Diecast, Nightclubs Suck, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and Melon 1 will each have a presence activating at the event, while Blues Hog will be on-site selling delicious barbecue throughout the day.

SiriusXM NASCAR Radio hosts Brad Gillie and Dave Moody will interview several of the team’s drivers and key personnel during the event, giving fans a unique behind-the-scenes look into what goes into a live radio broadcast.

Fans in attendance will be among some of the first to see a special paint scheme that the team will race later this year before it gets shared with the public at 1:30 PM. They will also have a chance to tour the race shop in its entirety and purchase team merchandise in-person at a discounted rate.

“We are looking forward to hosting our second-annual Fan Day,” said Amanda Efaw, Chief Marketing Officer for the team. “We had a great turnout last year and are excited to involve even more of our partners in this year’s event. Fan Day gives our partners a valuable opportunity to engage directly with race fans while allowing fans to spend time with our drivers and get a closer look at Niece Motorsports. We love being able to open our doors and welcome the people who support our team.”

Join Niece Motorsports on Thursday, October 8 and be sure to share the invitation to others via the Facebook event page. For more information, please visit the team’s social media accounts.

About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop 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).

STAMPEDE OF SPEED BRINGS A TEXAS-SIZED SHOWDOWN TO PLAYOFFS WITH TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS

By
Official Release
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ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 29, 2026) – The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is headed to the famed Texas Motorplex for a Texas-sized event for the sixth annual Stampede of Speed and the main event of the 10-day extravaganza, the 41st annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, which takes place Oct. 9-18 at the famed facility as part of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.

The NHRA FallNationals takes place Oct. 14-18 and marks the 18th of 20 events in the 2026 NHRA season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship. The race has always been a pivotal playoff and with the stakes as high as ever, every NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series championship contender knows how important it is to perform well in Dallas.

That was the case just a year ago when all four drivers who won the NHRA FallNationals finished as world champions. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Richard Gadson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the highly coveted NHRA FallNationals cowboy hat and the Wally trophy, emphasizing the magnitude of the annual stop at legendary Texas Motorplex.

This year’s race will once again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18, and it’s a weekend loaded with big moments during NHRA’s milestone 75th anniversary season.

The action kicks off in a big way on Friday with two qualifying rounds and the thrilling “JEGS Friday Night Live,” featuring the popular “Battle for the Saddle.” More than $40,000 in bonus money is on the line for drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The low qualifier under the lights on Friday night will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

For the must-see night session, fan are encouraged to wear black and yellow as part of a special “Black and Yellow Bash,” another fun aspect of “JEGS Friday Night Live”.

Like Friday Night’s action, fans will enjoy VP Racing Spirits Final Qualifying during the second qualifying session on Saturday afternoon (and fourth overall). VP Racing Spokesperson Ida Zetterstrom will be joined by the VP Racing Mad Scientist mascot to represent the brand and their Twisted Sisters Texas Whiskey debuting at its first motorsports event, the NHRA FallNationals. All four pro classes will be competing for a “Speedy Armadillo” trophy during VP Racing Spirits Final Qualifying, where Zetterstrom will present the awards. Eliminations will commence on Sunday, where winners will be crowned at the legendary facility during another memorable stop at Texas Motorplex.

As NHRA’s year-long celebration of its 75th anniversary season, fans will be treated to incredible racing from the 340-mph nitro-burning machines as well as a tribute to Texas Motorplex owner Billy Meyer, as he is honored as one of NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers.

Last season, Top Fuel’s Kalitta earned his third Dallas victory and then won his second world title. This season, Kalitta has four wins as well as the regular season title, but his teammate Shawn Langdon has been red-hot with seven wins. He’s currently on a three-race win streak, while taking on the likes of Antron Brown, Leah Pruett, rookie standout Maddi Gordon and motorsports legend Tony Stewart.

Prock picked up his first Dallas win last year before rolling to his second consecutive Funny Car title. This season, four-time world champion Matt Hagan currently leads the points, with Jordan Vandergriff sitting second. Former world champions Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Jack Beckman are also firmly in the mix as one of the closest Funny Car points battles in recent years heads to Dallas.

Pro Stock standout Glenn won for the first time in Dallas last year en route to the world title. He won the regular season title and currently sits third, behind Matt Hartford and current points leader Greg Stanfield. Others to watch include Greg Anderson, Jeg Coughlin Jr. Troy Coughlin Jr., as well as Texan Erica Enders.

Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gadson won over Brayden Davis last season on his way to his first world title. Gadson won the regular season championship and remains in the points lead early in the Countdown, facing off against a field that includes Gaige Herrera, Matt and Angie Smith, John Hall, Ryan Oehler and Chase Van Sant.

The Texas NHRA FallNationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which begins on Wednesday, Oct. 14, as well as the finale in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Right Trailers Outlaw Street.

Fans will also be treated to the JEG’s Allstars event, which pits sportsman racers from across the country against each other, beginning on Friday, Oct. 16. The unique specialty race is back as a highlight of the 2026 Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex and is one of the most highly-anticipated sportsman events of the year.

Leading into the race weekend, fans can take part in several events during the massive 10-day Stampede for Speed. That includes the Stars of Texas Music Festival (October 9-11), the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional race (October 12-13) and the popular NHRA FanFest presented by Red Line Oil at Railyard Park in downtown Waxahachie (Thursday, October 9), where fans can meet and get autographs from the top stars in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and the JEGS Allstars.

Race fans at Texas Motorplex can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk, as well as the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans can congratulate the winners.

Fans with reserved tickets with a pit pass get access to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction. They can see their favorite teams in action in the pits, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway with interactive displays, merchandise and food.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 16, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 18. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, leading into eliminations at 3 p.m. ET.

To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit tickets.texasmotorplex.com. For info about 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 JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ 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.

ARCA Menards West at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Kyle Busch Classic Pres. by Star Nursery

By
Official Release
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THE RACE: Kyle Busch Classic Presented by
Star Nursery & WCSCMHOF
THE PLACE: The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
THE DATE: Friday, October 2, 2026
THE TIME: 9 pm ET / 6 pm PT
TV: FloRacing, Live

ARCA Menards Series West at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: Kyle Busch Classic Pres. By Star Nursery and West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame

Pre-race Notes

  • The ARCA Menards Series West heads into its championship stretch at one of its most familiar venues, but a huge variable looms ahead as new pavement awaits at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The track was repaved over the summer and has seen very little on-track activity leading into Friday’s Kyle Busch Classic Presented by Star Nursery and West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame.
  • Trevor Huddleston (No. 50 High Point Racing / Racecar Factory Ford) leads the ARCA Menards West standings by 40 points over Mason Massey (No. NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet) with three races remaining. Huddleston won at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025 and has four top-five finishes in his last five starts at the track, while Massey will be making his first appearance at The Bullring.
  • Hailie Deegan (No. 16 Monster Chevrolet) heads to Las Vegas fresh off her fourth career ARCA Menards West victory and her first in seven years last Saturday night at Madera Speedway. Deegan has gone to victory lane on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway property; her second career series win came at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2019.
  • Robbie Kennealy (No. 1 Jan’s Towing / Jan’s Racing Ford) has made a charge through the series standings since a 20th-place finish in the season opener at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Kennealy finished fourth last weekend at his home track in Madera, and sits just two points out of second in the point standings. Kennealy and Huddleston are the only two drivers with nine top-ten finishes in 2026.
  • Vito Cancilla (No. 20 Home Smiles / Impact Transportation Chevrolet) will make his West debut in a third Bill McAnally Racing entry. The 15-year-old is the great grandson of Coz Cancilla, the winning champion car owner and crew chief for 1955 series champion Danny Letner.
  • Taylor Mayhew (No. 17 MMI Services Chevrolet) will make his fourth start of the season and first since Sonoma Raceway in June. Mayhew, the son of former ARCA Menards West winner David Mayhew, finished third in his series debut at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in February.
  • Helio Meza (No. 28 Alessandro’s / Heraldos Media Chevrolet) has won eight of ten Trans Am TA2 races in 2026 and will be making his ARCA Menards Series platform debut at The Bullring. The Houston native was born with bilateral aural atresia, the failure of the ear canal to form, and can hear through bone conductivity. He will be driving for the Pinnacle Racing Group team that won the West race at Phoenix Raceway with Carson Brown in March.
  • Nitro Motorsports will field entries for Mia Lovell (No. 15 Pine Health Toyota), Sam Corry (No. 25 Nitro Motorsports Toyota), and Quebec native Donald Theetge (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Toyota).
  • In addition to entries for series regulars Kennealy and two-time 2026 winner Cole Denton (No. 71 Jan’s Towing Ford), team owner Jan Qualkenbush and his son JJ will field a third entry for Tucson native Quinn Davis (No. 41 Jan’s Towing / Dollywood Ford). Denton will be looking to rebound from a 21st-place finish at Madera, while Davis – who finished eighth in the ARCA Menards East standings – will be looking for her first career series top-ten finish.
  • Previous ARCA Menards West winners at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway include Ron Hornaday, Jr. (1994), Ernie Cope (1995), Mark Reed (2001), Austin Cameron (2002), Jim Inglebright (2003), Greg Pursley (2011, 2012), Sam Mayer (2020-1), Gracie Trotter (2020-2), Taylor Gray (2021, 2022), Dylan Cappello (2023), and Trevor Huddleston (2025).
  • ARCA Menards West races at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have gone into overtime on two previous occasions, in 2022 and 2023. Should the race be extended into overtime, it will conclude with unlimited attempts at a two-lap green flag followed by white flag followed by checkered flag finish. Should the caution flag be displayed after the white flag is displayed, there will be unlimited attempts at a one-lap green and white flag together followed by checkered flag finish.
  • The Madera 150 Presented by West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame is set for 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT on Saturday, September 26. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing. Live timing & scoring data and live race audio will be available on ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the-minute updates please follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly known as Twitter).

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

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 
Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

ZONiE Expands to Primary Sponsorship for Garrett Smithley at Las Vegas

By
Official Release
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ZONiE will take center stage on the No. 0 Chevrolet in the Focused Health 302

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (September 28, 2026) – ZONiE Beverages is expanding its partnership with Garrett Smithley and will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 0 Chevrolet for the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 3. The expanded role builds on the partnership announced earlier this month, which placed ZONiE on Smithley’s car for the remainder of the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.

ZONiE’s growing presence in NASCAR reflects the company’s genuine passion for the sport and its fans. The Las Vegas primary sponsorship is an important step as ZONiE works to build a lasting place in racing and connect with a fan base known for loyalty and strong support of the brands that support the sport.

“I’m excited to represent ZONiE at Las Vegas,” Smithley said. “This is the first of many races together, and I’m happy to carry a company like theirs on my race car.”

ZONiE and Smithley share a commitment to faith, family and freedom. NASCAR’s culture of hard work, perseverance, performance and community closely matches the values that guide the ZONiE brand. The company views its investment in the sport as a way to develop long-term relationships with fans, teams and partners while introducing more people to the ZONiE lifestyle.

“NASCAR fans are among the most passionate and loyal in sports, and Garrett perfectly embodies the hard work, faith, and dedication that our brand stands for. We’re thrilled to take center stage on the No. 0 Chevrolet for the Las Vegas race and continue sharing the ZONiE lifestyle with racing fans across the country, said Troy Clegg, CEO and Co-Founder of Zonie Beverages”

The Las Vegas event gives ZONiE a national platform during one of the most competitive stretches of the season. Smithley and the No. 0 team will carry the brand’s colors throughout the race weekend as the partnership continues to grow on and off the track.

Tune In

Race: Focused Health 302
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: The CW
Radio: PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

About ZONiE

ZONiE is an American-made functional energy drink brand built around its Mind, Body and Soul philosophy. Its smooth, non-carbonated beverages are made with organic ingredients and performance-focused nootropics, with naturally caffeinated and caffeine-free options. Learn more at zoniebev.com.

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