NASCAR Pole Position | October-November 2025

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BREAKING THE BARRIERS Carrera HYBRID is Redefining Racing Reality

The roar of engines echoing through living rooms across America has taken on a new dimension. For decades, slot car racing has linked enthusiasts to the thrills of motorsports. Now, that connection is being reimagined.

Carrera HYBRID is not just an improvement in slot car technology; it’s a reinvention of home racing that combines simulation and reality.

FREEDOM FROM THE RAILS

The most striking aspect of Carrera HYBRID’s system lies in what it doesn’t have: traditional slot tracks. This freedom is made possible by equally amazing and imperceptible technology. With cars that can change lanes, compete on various track configurations and react to smartphone controls, Carrera HYBRID is an artificial intelligence-powered, slot-less racing set.

immersive and easy connection.

Do you like a more conventional vibe? With support for Bluetooth gaming controllers, racers of all skill levels can enjoy accuracy and versatility.

LICENSED FOR AUTHENTICITY

In addition to making movement possible, this AI integration produces an intelligent racing environment in which cars are aware of their surroundings, track lines and other cars on the course.

THE SMARTPHONE REVOLUTION

Carrera HYBRID embraces contemporary controls to its fullest potential. By turning your phone like a real wheel with its tilt steering, you can establish an

Carrera has earned the trust of some of the most iconic names in racing, including Ferrari, Porsche and BMW, by consistently delivering miniature vehicles that honor the spirit of their full-scale counterparts. This extensive licensing portfolio isn’t just about recreating the look; it’s about capturing the authentic feel and personality of each car, which is exactly what we’ve done with the Carrera HYBRID series. Each model closely replicates its reallife counterpart in terms of livery, size, and most importantly, personality.

RACING INTO TOMORROW

Carrera HYBRID bridges the gap that once seemed too wide: The tactile, handson joy of physical cars combined with strategic complexity of modern racing games. Motorsports is evolving – hybrid drivetrains, advanced telemetry and cutting-edge tech are now defining how cars compete. Carrera HYBRID mirrors these trends in miniature, offering physical racing powered by intelligent systems, all within reach at home.

NASCAR POLE POSITION

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EDITORIAL: KAUY OSTLIEN, ARMANY DEPAUL, CODY WILLIAMS

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Q&A with ARMANI WILLIAMS

BY KAUY OSTIEN

Armani Williams’ racing journey started with Hot Wheels cars on the living room floor and has taken the native of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, all the way to a handful of starts in NASCAR’s upper divisions.

Despite being diagnosed with autism at age 2, Williams parlayed a passion for cars into a racing career. He started in go-karts when he was 8 and advanced through Bandoleros and other grassroots divisions before making limited starts in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He is one of two autistic drivers currently active in NASCAR’s national series, along with Cody Ware.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN NASCAR?

I remember this one time where it was either for my birthday or Christmas that I got a die-cast car, which happened to resemble a NASCAR stock car. That’s when I started discovering and learning about NASCAR. ... So I wanted to try and check it out more, and one time I decided that I’m going to try and watch a NASCAR race on TV one weekend, and as soon as the race was all over, my interest just blew me away. It went from me loving cars to now I started loving racing.

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AS AN ATHLETE ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM?

There can be some uncertainty when it comes to autism, right? Because not a lot of people know exactly what autism is and what

people with autism go through on a daily basis. I’ve had to overcome challenges with communication, understanding social situations and sensory environments, like the loud and crowded environments, things we’re uncomfortable with as kids. HOW HAVE YOU OVERCOME THOSE CHALLENGES?

I’ve been very thankful to have a great support system where my family has believed in me and has been able to help me in every way they can. Along with them, just finding the right people who have helped lift me up to where I had the tools to overcome those challenges, and a little bit of initiative on my own. Understanding that I needed to try and overcome those challenges, and now to this day, they don’t bother me anymore.

ON WHAT STYLE OF RACE TRACKS ARE YOU MOST COMFORTABLE?

Obviously, you like to run all styles of race tracks, whether that’s superspeedways, intermediates, short tracks or road courses. You want to like all of them. But, if I had to pick a favorite, I would say it’s probably the intermediates, because for me, I just have that need for speed. I just love to go fast all the time. And I think with the intermediates, you get that, because you have the opportunity to run 180, 190, sometimes even 200 mph, pretty much almost every single lap, and I just love to live on that edge.

COLLECTORS’CORNER

Show Us Your Collection

From its short-track roots in the Southeast to its starring role on prime-time television, NASCAR has long been a leader among the major U.S. racing series, while also playing a significant role on the global motorsports stage.

Like any die-hard NASCAR fan, Jim has his share of NASCAR memories, though his connection to the sport grew out of a love for American cars as a child in England. He’s amassed quite the NASCAR memorabilia collection and takes pride in sharing these photos with our readers.

FILMS LIKE ELVIS PRESLEY’S SPEEDWAY from 1968 and shows like The Dukes of Hazzard introduced Jim to NASCAR, and his interest grew by watching race replays on TV Friday Nights at midnight in the 1980s. Jim moved to the U.S. 25 years ago as an already well-educated NASCAR fan.

LIKE ANY COLLECTOR, JIM has his favorites, including the Allison family, Petty Enterprises, and Rusty Wallace. After moving to the U.S., Jim began following Kevin Harvick and the 2014 Cup Series champion became the dominant driver of his collection. But it should be noted that Robby Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart shared in the spotlight.

JIM’S DISPLAY WOULD RIVAL THAT OF almost any loyal NASCAR fan. His collection spans decades, from the early years of NASCAR to now. Though he says he never intended to build a collection, “it represents the history of the sport and key drivers and teams that have interested me.”

WITH KEVIN HARVICK’S retirement at the end of the 2023 season, fans of the California native, including Jim, had to find new drivers to collect. Jim’s fandom has found a new home in 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen, with his Wallace and 23XI diecast cars featured in a unique coffee table.

JIM’S COLLECTION INCLUDES several memorable pieces, such as the 1:18-scale Pontiac Fireball Roberts piloted to victory in the 1962 Daytona 500, and Dan Gurney’s No. 121 Ford Galaxie signed by Leonard Wood. Outside of the die-cast realm, Jim also has a standout piece: A Kevin Harvick Budweiser store display car, saved for him by a friend who was the store manager.

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Kyle Weatherman’s Reset

SIM TIME, REAL LIFE AND THE PATH TO A RETURN

BY KAUY OSTLIEN

It’s been nearly a year since Kyle Weatherman’s last NASCAR Xfinity Series start — a strong 14th-place finish in DGM Racing’s No. 91 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Since then, the 28-year-old has been waiting for his next opportunity to get back behind the wheel.

For a driver who has made at least one start in NASCAR’s three national series every season since 2017, stepping away hasn’t been easy. While working to secure sponsorship and the right fit for a return, Weatherman has stayed sharp through simulator testing with Hendrick Motorsports and GM.

“I’ve stayed sharp with sim work and kept my craft in line,” Weatherman said. “I still watch races every weekend, so in a way I feel like I’m still part of it. All I can do right now is stay ready for the opportunity.”

The past year has brought challenges beyond racing. Kyle and his wife, Meg, have leaned on each other after the loss of Meg’s mother, Barbara Brooks, using the time away from the track to regroup and strengthen their foundation.

“I truly believe this time has been a gift,” Meg said. “It’s given us a chance to invest in our marriage, strengthen our relationship with God, and really learn more about each other. We’ve seen each other in a different light, in a difficult season, and it’s helped us grow together.”

Stepping away from full-time racing has also opened new doors. Kyle and his father started a glass services company, SCG Glass, while Meg continues to run her makeup business. She is also preparing to launch a new podcast, Turn Left, Live Right, where she plans to talk about life as a racing wife, her faith, and overcoming personal challenges.

“I’ve been through a lot, and I want to turn those experiences into something good that can help others,” Meg said. “The podcast feels like the right platform — a way to share those conversations and hear the stories of others too.”

Even as the Weathermans explore new ventures, Kyle’s passion for racing hasn’t faded. He continues to look forward to the moment he can return to the sport he loves.

“At the end of the day, I just love being in the car,” Weatherman said. “The sound, the smell, the adrenaline, the competition — it’s everything. I miss being at the track, I miss the travel, but I know the chance will come again.”

The Ultimate NASCAR RV Experience 5 GADGETS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED

BY KAUY OSTLIEN

An RV at the race track is a great way to be close to the action, but a few smart additions can make the experience much more efficient and enjoyable. These five gadgets may not be the first things you think to pack, but they can make a big difference in comfort, convenience and cooking at the race.

PORTABLE PELLET SMOKER

A pellet smoker delivers authentic BBQ flavor without the hassle of managing charcoal or propane. Compact models with foldable legs are ideal for the infield and can handle everything from ribs to brisket while you enjoy the on-track action.

DIGITAL MEAT THERMOMETER WITH REMOTE MONITORING

A wireless thermometer lets you monitor your cooking from anywhere in the RV lot. Real-time temperature alerts mean you can focus on the race without overcooking the main course.

COLLAPSIBLE OUTDOOR PREP STATION

Cooking trackside often means working in tight spaces. A collapsible prep station provides stable counter space, storage for seasonings and hooks for utensils, then packs away flat for easy storage.

12V PORTABLE ICE MAKER

Ice runs can be a hassle, especially during a busy race weekend. A 12-volt portable ice maker produces a steady supply right at your site without overtaxing the generator, keeping drinks cold from green flag to checkered.

COMPACT PROJECTOR AND SCREEN

For evenings in the infield, a compact projector can turn the side of your RV into a big screen for race replays or entertainment. Lightweight and portable, it sets up quickly and stores away without taking up much space.

• These upgrades are affordable, portable and easy to integrate into your camping setup. A few thoughtful tools can help you spend more time enjoying the race.

TAKE FUN ANYWHERE!

Whether you’re looking for utility, recreation or fun, Aluma has the perfect trailer for you! Aluma offers a complete line of durable, lightweight and maintenance free aluminum trailers.

HEALTH&WELLNESS

DISCOVER THE GAME-CHANGING BENEFITS OF OPTIWIZE 10-N-1

In a world of quick fixes and fad supplements, finding a product that supports your body’s natural resil ience can feel impossible. That’s why thousands of people are turn ing to OptiWize 10-N-1 – a carefully formulated blend designed to nour ish mobility, recovery and overall wellness from the inside out.

Whether you’re staying active with your kids, competing in sports or simply looking for daily support as you age, OptiWize was built for real life.

Here are five powerful ben efits that make this supplement stand out:

WHOLE-BODY SUPPORT BEYOND COLLAGEN

REAL PEOPLE. REAL STORIES.

INTEGRITY AT EVERY LEVEL

In today’s crowded supplement market, quality matters. From formulation to packaging, OptiWize is manufactured in small batches with precision and care:

Clean ingredients. No fillers, no artificial flavors, no shortcuts.

Made in the USA. Produced under strict quality standards following all GMP guidelines and manufactures FDA certified facility.

Most products rely on one ingredient – usually collagen – hoping it will cover all the bases. OptiWize goes further. It combines 10 key ingredients, including collagen, in a synergistic blend that supports joints, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue, digestion and immune health.

Nutrients like Green Lipped Mussel, Omega-3s, MSM and Hydrolyzed Collagen Type II work together to promote comfort, flexibility and long-term wellness. Instead of focusing on just one nutrient, OptiWize delivers a balanced approach to support your body from any angle.

SUPPORT FOR RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE

Daily life takes a toll – whether from exercise, work or simply staying active. OptiWize is formulated with nutrients that help your body recover from everyday stress and maintain resilience.

OptiWize users report they feel more flexible and ready to move within a few weeks of consistent use. From athletes to parents and older adults, OptiWize provides nutritional support to help you keep doing the activities you love.

With Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and Chondroitin Sulfate, OptiWize helps provide building blocks your body needs to stay active and supported.

Customers across the country share how OptiWize has helped them feel supported in their daily lives:

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Crafted by people who know what it takes to keep going, made for those who refuse to slow down. • Science-based formulation. Developed using current nutritional research.

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DESIGNED FOR REAL LIFE MOVEMENT

Life doesn’t stop moving, and neither should you. Whether you’re running, working on the ranch or keeping up with your grandkids, OptiWize supports mobility, flexibility and performance at every stage of life.

Younger athletes use it to support training and recovery, busy parents use it to keep up with demanding schedules, and older adults use it to maintain an active lifestyle. Whatever your season of life, OptiWize helps you keep moving forward.

TIME AND COST EFFICIENCY

Typical supplement routines often require multiple products –collagen for joints, omega-3s for general wellness, vitamins for recovery and more. That adds cost and complexity.

OptiWize 10-N-1 simplifies everything into one comprehensive formula. Instead of juggling multiple bottles, you get broad nutritional support in a single capsule—saving you time, money, and guesswork.

It’s wellness made simple.

With more than 475 starts, A.J. Allmendinger is one of the most experienced and well-traveled drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 43-year-old Los Gatos, California, native has also enjoyed a fair amount of success –especially on road courses, which are where he’s captured all three of the wins he’s earned since making his Cup Series debut in 2007. Allmendinger recently sat down with NASCAR Pole Position to talk about some of his favorite things in life –which have helped him weather the storms he’s encountered over his lengthy NASCAR career.

BY JARED TURNER

WHAT’S

YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

I’M A BIG SPORTS documentary guy, so I love watching anything like a sports documentary. But if you’re going to make me sit down and pick a movie, I’ll split it between “Tommy Boy” and “Dumb and Dumber” – the original, not that second bulls*** one that they did. I don’t like that one. But “Tommy Boy” and “Dumb and Dumber” are the go-to.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

IT’S EASY. CHIPS, salsa, guacamole. Really, you could go with any kind of Mexican dish. Like a chicken and rice bowl or tacos, chicken tacos. I could eat that pretty much every day. It’s been like that for a long time. I’m not a huge food person in general. Food’s never been a huge part of my life in the sense of I need it. Sometimes I wouldn’t eat it if I didn’t have to. But you put down a bowl of chips and salsa and guacamole, I’ll eat it until I feel like I’m going to puke.

WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE NASCAR DRIVER GROWING UP?

IT WAS JEFF GORDON. Jeff Gordon was always the guy. It started more when he was running sprint cars on Thursday and Saturday Night Thunder on ESPN. I loved watching him race. My favorite car when I was really little was Harry Gant in the Skoal Bandit car. My favorite color was green and it still is. I think my parents probably still have a picture of me at Sonoma

WHAT’S

YOUR FAVORITE RACE

TRACK?

I DON’T SPECIFICALLY say, “Oh, my God. I can’t wait to get to this race track.” It more comes down to, when you’re competitive, there’s a track that I could show up to that I’m not a huge fan of and, next thing you know, we’re fast that weekend and you really enjoy the race track. Without a doubt, it’s really between Watkins Glen and the ROVAL at Charlotte. If you’re making me pick one, just success-wise, it’s the ROVAL, for sure. But I would say those two.

SILENTSUPERSTAR

Off Axis Paint Brings Art and Emotion to Race Day

From the bold, creative car wraps that define a driver, sponsor and team, to the unique, intricate artwork that adorns virtually every drivers’ helmet, NASCAR is an inherently artistic sport.

Artists, such as those employed by Off Axis Paint, a world-renowned racing helmet paint shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, put thousands of hours into making the dreams of race teams, sponsors and drivers a reality.

But Off Axis owner Greg Stumpff is quick to remind people, “We don’t make it go any faster on the track, but we definitely make it look cooler in Victory Lane.”

Stumpff, a Missouri native, comes from a racing family and fell in love with art at an early age. With the help of his high school art teacher, Matt Locke, Stumpff learned how to airbrush and quickly started painting “whatever I could make five bucks at.”

After graduation, Stumpff, then working for a dirt-racing team, decided to start painting helmets. He met drivers from across the country, took their helmets home and painted them, slowly piecing together what would be his future career in motorsports.

“I started meeting some people in the NASCAR world, who got their helmets painted professionally by people who do this for a living, and it was like, ‘Oh, this is what I want to do, and this is a hobby into a career.’”

Custom-painted helmets are not new to NASCAR, but as more sponsors have entered the sport the need for additional helmet designs has grown.

In 2012, Stumpff moved to North Carolina to pursue airbrush work as a career, telling himself that if it didn’t work out, he could always go home. So far, he’s not gone back.

Off Axis Paint has become one of the most recognized names in the game, working with not only race teams but also the MLB, the Savannah Bananas, various Olympic teams and action sports legend Travis Pastrana.

BY KAUY OSTLIEN

Of course, Stumpff doesn’t take all the credit for his company’s success. He has a team of talented artists who each has their own specialty.

“It’s kind of like a tattoo shop: One guy’s good at portraits, one guy is good at the symmetrical clean euro lines and one guy’s good with the dirt helmets,” Stumpff explained.

Once he works with a race team, driver or sponsor, Stumpff knows which member of his group has the skills to best match that specific job. For instance, some drivers, like ThorSport Racing’s Matt Crafton, a 15-year customer of Off Axis, know which artist is the best suited to execute their vision.

“Either they have a great relationship with the artist, and they’ll come in and bypass my desk and go straight to the artist they have worked with, that’s OK,” Stumpff said.

The company’s reputation keeps the Off Axis team busy year round.

“Every one of these helmets takes about 40 hours, so once you get about 10 in line, that’s you, that’s a ton of weeks of work right there,” Stumpff said.

With the massive number of orders the team fills during a given season, Off Axis has found Victory Lane quite a few times, including the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

But it’s not about the accolades for the Off Axis team; it’s about the drivers’ emotions and getting to share their journey. Some of the company’s long-time customers include Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, a client since his late model days, and JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier.

Off Axis’ journey with Allgaier came full circle last fall when the Illinois veteran won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship wearing a helmet painted and designed by Off Axis (with a little help from Allgaier’s daughters). For Stumpff and his team, these emotional moments are what their art is all about.

“I feel like when we can capture that emotion or get someone a little misty-eyed looking at a helmet, that’s when you’ve done your part and you have something really special,” Stumpff said.

GET READY FOR THE 2025 PANINI SELECT NASCAR TRADING CARDS!

Start your collectors’ engines, race fans — 2025 Panini Select Racing is back and ready to deliver one of the most exciting card-collecting experiences of the season! Each Hobby box features 12 packs with 5 cards per pack, giving you 60 chances to pull incredible hits. On average, collectors will find 2 autographs, 1 memorabilia card, and 12 parallels per box — making every rip a thrill.

Select’s signature three-tier base set returns with vibrant parallels that showcase drivers from every corner of the sport. Fans can collect a stellar lineup that stretches from rookies in Modifieds and the NASCAR Xfinity Series to today’s NASCAR Cup Series champions. Whether you’re chasing young stars or seasoned veterans, there’s something in Select for everyone.

Collectors will also want to be on the lookout for special inserts and ultra-rare parallels. The Zebra parallel is a Hobbyonly find, while the Color Wheel SSP insert is one of the toughest pulls in the product — and one of the most collectible. Add in autographed memorabilia cards featuring race-used material like firesuits, tires, and even sheet metal, and you’ve got a product that feels as close to the track as it gets.

Available at Walmart, Target, local hobby shops, and www.paniniamerica.net!

INSEASONPRIMER

Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings

FOR VEHICLES, BOATS, RVS, MOTORCYCLES ... AND RACE CARS

Opti-Coat of Memphis, Tennessee, was the first company to release automotive ceramic coatings in the USA, and they’ve made history once again by introducing ceramic coatings to NASCAR.

Opti-Coat’s blue-and-white logo was featured on the hood of Jeb Burton’s No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing/Bommarito Autosport Chevrolet Camaro last fall at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In the October 2024 race, the No. 27 car was not just wearing Opti-Coat’s logo on the hood – the car entered the race with Opti-Coat’s Pro Ceramic Coating installed on the vehicle.

As far as we know, it’s the first time a ceramiccoated race car competed in a NASCAR race.

Ceramic coatings create a barrier between your vehicle’s paint and the elements, helping keep your vehicle looking new.

BENEFITS OF CERAMIC COATINGS

• Warrantied Protection from all the elements and sun damage

• Long-Lasting Shine & Gloss

• Ease of Maintenance

• U.V. Protection

• Chemical & Stain Resistance

• Scratch & Swirl Resistance

• Resistance to Dirt & Water Spots

• Water Beading

times the thickness of standard ceramic coatings with four layers of Silicon Carbide (SiC) protection.

• 10-Year Warranty with no yearly maintenance required

• Optional Lifetime Warranty

OPTI-COAT PRO PLUS

A two-layer SiC protective coating, delivering even more gloss and slickness than single-layer coatings while maintaining the same durable chemical structure as Opti-Coat Pro.

• Enhanced Water Beading and Dirt-Release Properties

• 7-Year Warranty

OPTI-COAT PRO

The original professional ceramic coating. A permanent bonding, single-layer Silicon Carbide (SiC) coating offering long-term protection.

• Up to 10 years of durability

• 5-Year Warranty

OPTI-COAT ULTRA SHINE

An SiO2-based ceramic coating offering extreme gloss, shine, and slickness at a lower price point.

• Can fill minor scratches and swirls

• 2-Year Warranty

MOTORCYCLE CERAMIC COATING

OPTI-COAT PRO MOTORCYCLE CERAMIC COATING

Designed specifically for motorcycles, this includes:

• Opti-Coat Pro – Paint protection

Ceramic coatings were first developed in the 1970s for military and aerospace applications. In 2007, Opti-Coat introduced the first automotive ceramic coating for sale in the United States. This new type of coating was designed to protect the modern, damage-prone clear coat paint found on today’s vehicles.

Opti-Coat coatings are unique in composition, utilizing Silicon Carbide (SiC) – also known as industrial diamond – because it is much longer lasting and more durable than the more commonly used Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). A single application of an SiC coating has a lifespan of at least 10 years, compared to 1-3 years for SiO2 coatings.

Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings are not just for cars, trucks and SUVs. Opti-Coat has specialized coatings for boats, RVs, motorcycles and even race cars. Opti-Coat is installed by top Professional Detailers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

To find a Professional Installer near you, visit https://opticoat. com/pages/installers

AUTOMOTIVE CERAMIC COATINGS

OPTI-COAT PRO3

The most advanced ceramic coating available, featuring four

• Opti-Guard Leather – Leather & vinyl protection

• Opti-Metal – Metal & chrome protection

• Protects motorcycle paint, leather, vinyl, metal, chrome, and even exhaust pipes

• 5-Year Warranty

RV & MARINE CERAMIC COATING

OPTI-COAT RV & MARINE

A protective ceramic coating designed for gelcoat surfaces found on RVs and boats.

• 5-Year Warranty

• Superior resistance to scratching, chemical etching, and UV fading

• Outstanding dirt-release properties

ABOUT OPTI-COAT

Opti-Coat has been designing and manufacturing ceramic coatings and auto detailing products in the USA since 2001. When looking for the best ceramic protection, paint protection film or auto detailing products to keep your vehicle, boat, RV, motorcycle or race car clean and protected, turn to Opti-Coat. For more information, visit www.opticoat.com.

NASCAR Unveils 40 Greatest Modern-Era Whelen Modified Tour Drivers

NASCAR’s season-long celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Whelen Modified Tour’s modern era reached its finale last month. To honor the milestone, NASCAR unveiled the 40 Greatest Drivers in the series’ history.

Since its launch in 1985, the Whelen Modified Tour has built a reputation as one of NASCAR’s most competitive series. Among the legends recognized on the list is Mike Stefanik, a 2021 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee whose seven championships and 74 wins stand unmatched. Stefanik twice recorded double-digit victories in back-to-back seasons, tallying 10 wins in 1997 and 13 in 1998.

Also included is Doug Coby, whose six championships rank second only to Stefanik. Coby has amassed 35 victories and enjoyed a remarkable streak of 13 consecutive seasons with at least one win (2011–2024).

Another icon is Richie Evans, champion of the Tour’s first modern-era season in 1985. Evans, who collected eight Modified National Championships before the modern era, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.

“It’s incredibly important for us to recognize and honor the great drivers who have built the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour into the fan-favorite series that it is today,” said Joseph Dennewitz, Managing Director of NASCAR Regional. “These drivers are heroes at their local tracks and have made a name for themselves on a national level.”

TODAY’S STARS JOIN THE LIST

The final group of honorees features names familiar to modern fans, including Ryan Preece, who balances a full-time NASCAR Cup Series career with Modified competition. Preece, the 2013 Tour champion, has 26 career wins—including a 2021 victory at Richmond—and will run double duty this weekend in both the Modified and Cup Series races.

The father-son duo of Tony and Matt Hirschman also make the list. Tony, a five-time champion, ranks third all-time in titles and is tied with Coby for fifth on the career wins list (35). Matt, continuing the family legacy, owns 10 Tour wins and added another at Seekonk Speedway earlier this season.

Several drivers recognized on the list were in action at Richmond when the list was unveiled, representing a combined 96 victories. Among them were:

• Justin Bonsignore, reigning four-time champion, who recently notched his 46th career win.

• Patrick Emerling, winner of nine Tour events, including two this season.

• Eric Goodale, with five career victories.

“This list represents the best NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers of the past and also highlights the incredible talent currently on track,” said Jimmy Wilson, Senior Technical Director of NASCAR Regional. “Fans at Richmond will see five of the all-time greats compete, alongside rising stars who may earn a place on the 50 Greatest list in 10 years.”

GREATEST DRIVERS

Wayne Anderson

Eric Goodale

Woody Pitkat

Tom Baldwin

Doug Heveron

Ryan Preece

Jimmy Blewett

Matt Hirschman

Brian Ross

John Blewett III

Tony Hirschman

Reggie Ruggiero

Justin Bonsignore

Chuck Hossfeld

Bobby Santos III

Ted Christopher

Charlie Jarzombek

Ron Silk

Doug Coby

George Kent Jr.

Timmy Solomito

Tim Connolly

Jan Leaty

Jimmy Spencer

Patrick Emerling

Donny Lia

Mike Stefanik

Richie Evans

Jerry Marquis

Todd Szegedy

Mike Ewanitsko

Jon McKennedy

Jamie Tomaino

Ed Flemke Jr.

Mike McLaughlin

Satch Worley

Jeff Fuller

Steve Park

Rick Fuller

Rowan Pennink

AS A CAMPER AT VICTORY JUNCTION

Hannah Smith Found Independence & Confidence

As someone who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair for mobility, Hannah Smith has long been passionate about helping people who live with similar challenges.

Now 22 years old, Smith has put that passion into action on many occasions over the course of her life. In 2024, she even received a prestigious ESPY, the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, in recognition of her humanitarian efforts – which include, perhaps most notably, starting wheelchair basketball camps for youth and women in the Richmond, Virginia, area where she grew up.

While Smith’s parents played a large role in inspiring her to be an encouraging light to everyone she meets, Smith also continues to draw inspiration from the four summers she spent as a teenager at Victory Junction – a Randleman, North Carolina-based camp founded by NASCAR’s legendary Petty family to serve young people with complex medical and physical needs.

“For me, the most important things were the independence and the confidence I gained there,” Smith said. “I had tried a lot of things and had a lot of life experience, but when my parents found out that I wanted to go to Victory Junction for the summer as a camper, they said, ‘Oh, well this is a great time to tell you that you need to be completely medically independent before you go to camp.’

“Now is that required to go to camp? No, it’s not. But my parents thought it would be a great motivator for me to learn how to take care of my medical treatments 100 percent independently.

“And you know what? I did. So, I was allowed to go that summer because I had been motivated to learn those skills. It was the motivation I needed to be able to take that next step in managing my own personal care.”

Being a camper at Victory Junction during the week designated for kids living with spina bifida, craniofacial anomalies and other physical challenges also fueled her desire to dedicate her life to helping others and giving back.

“While I was there, I was able to be a leader,” she said. “I tend to be a confident person, and so I was able to be a good influence and an encouragement to everyone around me. Some of them hadn’t really

met many leaders with disabilities before, so I got to be kind of that leader, that positive example for the younger campers.”

Just two years ago, in the summer of 2023, Smith returned to Victory Junction as a counselor for the same week she attended as a camper.

“I had a blast,” Smith said. “I actually had a kid I coach in wheelchair basketball from the Richmond area in my cabin at Victory Junction, which was so, so special. And I got to see that camper do things that she had never done before, and I definitely saw her gain a lot of confidence over that week.”

Being at Victory Junction in a different role and seeing the smiles on the faces of the children there naturally caused Smith to reflect back on her time as a camper and how it helped shape her into the person she is today. From horseback riding to fishing to ziplining and a host of other activities, Victory Junction offers no shortage of fun for campers, but archery is the activity Smith will always remember most.

“Every year, every single morning I went to archery,” she said. “We had campers who had more limited mobility who were able to use a crossbow with a trigger release, with the help of their counselor. And we had kids who were shooting a standard bow traditionally, independently. Every single camper was celebrated for their ability and their achievements. And I always loved that, because no one had to prove anything. Nobody had to try to be ‘less disabled,’ if I may say, than they were. Everyone was celebrated for who they were.”

Smith, who graduated from college in December, recently accepted a full-time job with SOAR365, an organization that provides social groups, employment services and various therapies for people with disabilities. So, between that and her continued volunteer work, she’s busier than ever.

But, time permitting, she would love to serve again as a counselor at Victory Junction – which will always hold a special place in her heart.

“I will do it in a heartbeat,” she said.

KICKTHE TIRES LightTHE fIRES

At Victory Junction, we believe every child deserves to laugh out loud, dream fearlessly, and race toward a life filled with endless possibilities. But for kids with serious and chronic medical conditions, these experiences can often feel out of reach.

Founded by NASCAR legends Richard and Kyle Petty, Victory Junction puts fun at the forefront – at no cost to campers or their families. Every activity is carefully designed to help children build confidence, foster independence, and discover their incredible potential.

Kids and families need your support. As a NASCAR fan, you know every race begins with preparation – “kicking the tires” to make sure everything’s ready before “lighting the fires” to power your favorite driver across the finish line.

We invite you to Kick the Tires by learning more about what makes Victory Junction a life-changing experience.

Feeling inspired? Then Light the Fires by helping send kids to camp. Refer a camper, or make a donation today!

NASCARSCHEDULE

6 Key Schedule Changes for 2026

BY KAUY OSTIEN

NASCAR’s annual schedule drop has become something of a holiday for race fans. A year’s worth of rumors and speculation culminate when fans finally see where the sport’s top three divisions will compete during the coming season. The 2026 announcement was no different, as NASCAR introduced several dramatic changes across all three series. Here are a half-dozen highlights that stand out:

POINTS RACING RETURNS TO NORTH WILKESBORO

Gordon, Earnhardt, Labonte, Martin and Wallace were household names when North Wilkesboro Speedway last hosted a NASCAR Cup Series points race on Sept. 29, 1996, a memorable event won by Jeff Gordon.

The names have since changed to Logano, Larson, Bell, Elliott, Blaney, Byron and Hamlin – and they’ll be racing for points when NASCAR roars back to North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, for the Window World 400 on July 19.

Thirty years after its most recent points race at stock car racing’s highest level, North Wilkesboro’s five-eighths-mile oval will come alive with a 400-lap, Sunday-night spectacular.

North Wilkesboro has been home to the NASCAR All-Star Race for the last three years.

NASCAR ALL-STAR RACE LANDS IN DOVER

The 42nd annual NASCAR All-Star Race, featuring the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series, will be run May 17, 2026, at The Monster Mile. The All-Star Race winner will take home a $1 million paycheck, as the storied event makes its first visit to Dover Motor Speedway.

The move to Dover marks the first time the NASCAR All-Star Race has been hosted on a one-mile oval and in the Northeast, kicking off three months of signature sports events in the greater Philadelphia area.

Following the NASCAR All-Star Race in May, FIFA World Cup 26 will be hosted in June and July at Lincoln Financial Field and the MLB All-Star Game will be held July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The events coincide with the United States of America’s 250th birthday on July 4 and the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence.

NEW LIFE FOR CHICAGOLAND FACILITY

Chicagoland Speedway was a fixture on the NASCAR calendar from 2001 through 2019, but lost its dates during the pandemicdriven schedule shake-up of 2020. When NASCAR’s revamped schedule debuted in 2021, Chicagoland was among the casualties.

Next season, the 1.5-mile track in Joliet, Illinois, returns to the fold, thanks primarily to the intermediate track performance of the Gen 7 race cars. A grassroots movement pushed for Chicagoland’s return and NASCAR listened.

In 2026, the speedway will reclaim one of the most coveted dates on the calendar: Fourth of July weekend.

SEASON FINALES SHIFT TO SOUTH FLORIDA

Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the season finales for NASCAR’s three national series in 2026.

The 1.5-mile oval previously served as the championship site from 2002 through 2019, before Phoenix Raceway took over from 2020 through 2025. While Phoenix offered a unique stage and strong attendance, Homestead’s races with the Gen 7 car have consistently delivered high drama.

Fans, drivers and NASCAR alike agree the South Florida track is the perfect venue to decide championships once again.

• NASCAR will travel to San Diego for a street race at the Naval Base Coronado in 2026.

A TRUCK SERIES CROSSOVER WITH INDYCAR IN ST. PETERSBURG

Since 2003, the NTT IndyCar Series has opened its season with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, a marquee street race won by stars such as, Hélio Castroneves, Will Power and Dario Franchitti.

Next year, NASCAR will add a new chapter to that tradition. On Saturday, Feb. 28, the Craftsman Truck Series will stage its first street race as part of the St. Pete lineup. The event not only introduces the trucks to street racing, but also delivers a long-awaited crossover weekend that fans of both series have long requested.

ANCHORS AWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

After Auto Club Speedway was partially demolished in 2023 and NASCAR wrapped up its L.A. Coliseum experiment in 2024, Southern California was left without a Cup Series race.

That changes next year with a new event: a street race on the historic Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. The race will be the first NASCAR national series road course event in Southern California since Riverside International Raceway closed in 1988.

To elevate the occasion, the Craftsman Truck Series will join the Xfinity (soon to be O’Reilly) Series and Cup Series for a tripleheader weekend.

2026 NASCAR SCHEDULE

Feb. 1 Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium Fox/FS1

Feb. 15 Daytona 500 Fox/FS1

Feb. 22 EchoPark (Atlanta) Fox/FS1

Mar. 1 Circuit of The Americas (Austin) Fox/FS1

Mar. 8 Phoenix Fox/FS1

Mar. 15 Las Vegas Fox/FS1

Mar. 22 Darlington Fox/FS1

Mar. 29 Martinsville Fox/FS1 OFF WEEKEND (EASTER)

Apr. 12 Bristol Fox/FS1

Apr. 19 Kansas Fox/FS1

Apr. 26 Talladega Fox/FS1

May 3 Texas Fox/FS1

May 10 Watkins Glen Fox/FS1

May 17 All-Star Race (Dover) Fox/FS1

May 24 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte) Amazon Prime

May 31 Nashville Amazon Prime

June 7 Michigan Amazon Prime

June 14 Pocono Amazon Prime

June 21 San Diego Amazon Prime

June 28 Sonoma TNT

July 5 Chicagoland TNT

July 12 EchoPark (Atlanta) TNT

July 19 North Wilkesboro TNT

July 26 Brickyard 400 (Indianapolis) TNT OFF WEEKEND

Aug. 9 Iowa NBC/USA

Aug. 15 Richmond NBC/USA

Aug. 23 New Hampshire NBC/USA

Aug. 29 Daytona (Regular-Season Finale) NBC/USA

Sept. 6 Darlington (Playoff Opener) NBC/USA

Sept. 13 World Wide Technology Raceway NBC/USA

Sept. 19 Bristol (Elimination Race) NBC/USA

Sept. 27 Kansas NBC/USA

Oct. 4 Las Vegas NBC/USA

Oct. 11 Charlotte ROVAL (Elimination Race) NBC/USA

Oct. 18 Phoenix NBC/USA

Oct. 25 Talladega NBC/USA

Nov. 1 Martinsville (Elimination Race) NBC/USA

Nov. 8 Homestead (Championship Race) NBC/USA

FORGOTTEN SPEEDWAYS

WaltDisney WorldSpeedway

BY CODY WILLIAMS

Since NASCAR sanctioned its first races in 1948, 179 different tracks have hosted at least one of its national series events. Today, only 53 remain on the schedule across all divisions. Many others have been lost to redevelopment, left to decay or demolished before ever fulfilling their potential.

One such venue was located in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando –home of the Walt Disney World Resort. From 1995 to 2015, the property was also home to an officially sanctioned motorsports facility: Walt Disney World Speedway.

A BRIEF HISTORY

The Walt Disney Co., in partnership with Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp., broke ground on June 6, 1995, and opened the facility on Nov. 28 that same year. The project was fueled in part by the IndyCar split. At the time, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) sanctioned most top-level open-wheel racing, while Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George launched the Indy Racing League (IRL) as an all-oval alternative.

Seeking more ovals for the IRL schedule, George struck a deal with Disney to build a one-mile tri-oval on resort property. IndyCar’s “Indy 200 at Walt Disney World” ran from 1996 to 2000. NASCAR joined in 1997 when the Craftsman Truck Series held the Chevy Trucks Challenge as its season opener. The trucks returned in 1998, but scheduling issues – namely a 10-week gap before the second race – led to the event’s removal.

The track stayed active as a testing facility and a venue for the Richard Petty Driving Experience until its permanent closure on Aug. 9, 2015.

TRACK LAYOUT AND FEATURES

Built on a limited budget, the speedway’s only permanent fixtures were the asphalt surface, retaining wall and catch fence. Temporary bleachers, concessions and restrooms were added for events. Its onemile tri-oval featured three turns, banked at 10, 8.5 and 7 degrees, with a frontstretch dogleg. In the infield, three connected ponds formed a “Mickey Mouse” silhouette known as Lake Mickey.

NOTABLE WINNERS

Tony Stewart captured the 1998 Indy 200. In trucks, Joe Ruttman (1997) and Ron Hornaday Jr. (1998) claimed victories. USAC events at the track produced wins for Sam Schmidt, Mike Bliss and Brian Tyler.

THE SITE TODAY

After demolition, the speedway’s footprint became a parking lot for the Magic Kingdom. While professional racing is gone, the Tomorrowland Speedway ride inside the park continues to give guests a taste of track driving.

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Tablo TV Maximizes Race-Day Viewing

In the fast-paced world of motorsports, race fans are always looking for the best ways to keep up with the action during a NASCAR race weekend. However, this has become all the more challenging with rising streaming and cable costs, and major changes to NASCAR TV’s partners.

That’s where Tablo TV enters the picture. Tablo provides not only race fans, but anyone who loves cost-friendly TV, a new and efficient way to enjoy their favorite shows and live events.

UNLIMITED FREE TV WITH NO UNSCHEDULED PIT STOPS

Perhaps the most valuable asset when using a Tablo is the price. For a one-time cost you get the whole package, allowing you to watch unlimited, free over-the-air and a curated selection of streaming channels in one.

The Tablo device achieves this by connecting to a TV antenna and Wi-Fi signal. It then makes the over-the-air networks available across your household’s smart devices, including compatible devices phones, tablets and TVs.

For NASCAR fans, this means races on the main over-the-air FOX or NBC networks, alongside the entirety of the NASCAR Xfinity Series on the CW, will be available through Tablo TV.

WATCH THOSE RACE-CHANGING MOMENTS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN

The Tablo Device not only provides a sleek and modern way to watch TV, but it also gives users modern ways to interact with the programs

Tablo acts as an over-the-air DVR, recording your favorite shows and live events. So, if you miss the race or find yourself watching something else, no worries – Tablo has you covered. This feature becomes all the more valuable during a race, giving you a chance to pause the action, rewind last-lap passes or fast forward through red flags.

Some races can get pretty lengthy, but there’s no need to worry, as Tablo provides users with storage for 50+ hours of content.

A FAST AND EASY INSTALL

Those who have watched NASCAR on over-the-air TV know the struggles of finding the best spot for your antenna and maybe even adjusting it mid-race. This can become all the more

frustrating when separate antennas are needed in separate rooms of the house.

Tablo TV, however, allows viewers to skip the hassle and go straight to the action. Simply put your TV antenna and Tablo device at the location in your home with the best reception, and there is no need for cables or oddly placed antennas.

Just plug in your Tablo, attach your antenna, set up your Wi-Fi connection, install the Tablo TV app and enjoy.

KEEP UP ANYWHERE AROUND THE HOUSE

An antenna alone provides free TV, but with it comes the need to buy multiple antennas for almost every room in your house, and even then, some rooms may not have the same signal as others. Plus, with Tablo TV, you not only get the broadcast OTA channels, you get access to 100+ free streaming channels, all curated and integrated into the beautifully designed and easy-to-navigate programming guide – and all of this with the ability to record and pause, which an antenna can’t do alone.

With Tablo TV, your whole household is set up to watch via the Tablo TV app that can be installed on all smart TVs and compatible devices. Wherever you have a compatible smart device, you can use your Tablo.

NO SUBSCRIPTION, NO FEES, NO WORRIES

While live streaming platforms can make watching TV easier, they may not be the most cost-effective option.

Tablo TV, on the other hand, provides easy access to your live, over-the-air TV channels and free live streaming channels. It also has the ability to record, pause and rewind, offers ease of access and provides a sleek user interface – all for one flat fee at purchase. This makes Tablo TV one of the best options for maximizing the viewing experience.

MatMan Designs

Whether you’re racing dirt, asphalt or anything in between, your pit space says a lot about your program.

MatMan Designs – the No. 1 Source for Race Team Matting – helps race teams look sharp, stay clean and impress sponsors with custom matting and professional design solutions built specifically for the motorsports world.

What We Offer

MatMan Designs provides a complete lineup of custom-designed products for race teams, including:

• Logo Design

• Indoor and Outdoor Mats

• Toolbox Mats

• Race Car Deck Mats

• Banners

• T-Shirt Design

• Race Wraps

Why TrustTeamsMatMan Designs

Every MatMan product is Made in the USA using only premium materials.

Our logo mats are constructed with high-quality Nylon 6/6 fiber for vivid color, durability and long-lasting performance.

Our scraper mats feature flexible, heavy-duty Nitrile Rubber that’s built to withstand the grit and grind of any pit area.

How Our Mats Make a Difference

Clean Workspaces: In racing, even the smallest particles can damage shocks or carburetors. Our mats help keep your trailer and work area clean – minimizing dirt, dust and debris. They’re easy to clean with a small portable vacuum.

Professional Presentation: Custom mats featuring your sponsors’ logos enhance the professionalism of your pit area. They demonstrate to current and potential partners that you take pride in your program and are committed to presenting it at the highest level.

What Sets Us Apart

MatMan Designs is led by Chad Harrington, known as “The MatMan,” who brings over 22 years of experience in matting and more than five decades of involvement in the racing world. From design to production, Chad personally oversees each order to ensure unmatched quality and service.

At MatMan Designs, we don’t just make mats – we help race teams build cleaner, more professional and sponsor-ready pit environments. All Made in the USA.

Brennan Brennan

ROOKIE QUESTIONS (10

This driver’s injury led to Erik Jones’ NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2015.

a. Matt Kenseth

b. Denny Hamlin

c. Carl Edwards

d. Kyle Busch

This driver was never a NASCAR Cup Series teammate to Denny Hamlin at Joe Gibbs Racing.

a. Tony Stewart

b. Bobby Labonte

c. Dale Jarrett

d. Terry Labonte

a.

TEST YOUR RACING KNOWLEDGE!

This section includes 10 NASCAR trivia questions, divided into three levels of difficulty:

Rookie (4 Questions): Perfect for casual fans or newcomers.

Advanced (4 Questions): A challenge for seasoned NASCAR followers.

Expert (2 Questions): Only

POINTS EACH)

Which of these drivers did not win the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award?

a. Ryan Newman

b. Jimmie Johnson

c. Brett Moffitt

d. Mike Skinner

Dale Earnhardt Jr. replaced which Hendrick Motorsports driver when he joined the team?

a. Casey Mears

b. Brian Vickers

c. Brad Keselowski

d. Kyle Busch

ADVANCED QUESTIONS

(15 POINTS EACH)

In February, Hendrick Motorsports broke a tie with which team for the most Daytona 500 victories?

a. Richard Childress Racing

d.

Who

the

a. Joey Logano

b. Cole Custer

c. Daniel Hemric

d. Matt Crafton

EXPERT

b. Wood Brothers Racing

c. Petty Enterprises

d. Robert Yates Racing

Which of these drivers has never raced for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series?

a. A.J. Allmendinger

b. B.J. Mcleod

c. Jamie McMurray

d. Ross Chastain

QUESTIONS (20 POINTS EACH)

Who was the first driver to win three crown jewel races in a single season?

a. Richard Petty

b. LeeRoy Yarbrough

c. Cale Yarbrough

d. Fireball Roberts

Dale Earnhardt won a dozen Duel races at Daytona, including how many in a row?

a. 9

b. 7

c. 4 d. 10

LEADER BOARD

DRIVER MATCH

FIND THE DIFFERENCE

FROM THE GRANDSTANDS TO THE PIT BOX RACING ELECTRONICS ELEVATES THE LIVE-RACE EXPERIENCE

BY KAUY OSTLIEN

While most race fans are satisfied by simply being at the track and cheering for their favorite driver, there’s another group of die-hard NASCAR supporters who utilize stateof-the-art technology to elevate their live-race experience.

And that technology is available from Racing Electronics.

Anyone attending a NASCAR event has seen Racing Electronics’ signature red headsets and scanners throughout the stands, perched on the spotter stand or worn by crew members on pit road.

With more than 35 years in the business, Racing Electronics is the go-to brand for enhancing the live-race experience. The company supplies radio communications for many of NASCAR’s top teams – and they put fans in the middle of the action, too.

A scanner from Racing Electronics allows fans to monitor real-time radio chatter among drivers, crew chiefs and spotters.

Curious why your favorite driver stayed out under caution? Want to hear what was said after a late-race wreck? Or just want to follow the intensity of a greenwhite-checkered finish from the inside? A scanner offers that insight – raw, unfiltered and live.

And this isn’t surface-level access. Fans using Racing Electronics gear can tune in to any driver, hear strategy decisions as they’re made and catch every uncensored reaction. It’s as close to being in the car as fans can get without donning a fire suit and helmet.

Flexibility is a major attribute of the Racing Electronics gear. Spectators can lock onto a single driver’s

frequency, rotate among their favorite drivers, monitor NASCAR officials or even listen to the race’s live radio broadcast – all with crystalclear audio. Unlike streaming from a phone or using a standard handheld radio, Racing Electronics delivers real-time sound, ensuring listeners stay ahead of the action.

Not sure which team to listen to? There’s a solution for that, too – just hit the SCAN button and let the scanner cycle through all available channels, providing a constantly updated snapshot of what’s happening around the track.

Racing Electronics offers a full lineup of products on its website, including headsets, scanners and bundle packages for fans who prefer to purchase their gear. But for those attending a single event or trying out the experience for the first time, the company’s convenient rental program is a great option.

Simply visit the Racing Electronics website, click the Rentals tab and select the race you plan to attend. From there, choose from three rental options:

• Single-Headset Package: Includes one scanner and one headset – ideal for solo fans or first-timers.

• Two-Headset Package: Perfect for couples or friends; one scanner with two headsets.

• Intercom Package: Two headsets with microphones and a built-in intercom system. Allows for conversation with a companion while listening to the same scanner. No more shouting over the engines.

After booking, simply pick up the rental equipment at the Racing Electronics hauler on race day. Everything is ready to go, rentals are good for the entire weekend and returns after the race are just as simple.

No other sport offers the real-time, behind-the-scenes access available at a NASCAR event. And with Racing Electronics, fans are not simply watching the action, they’re experiencing it from the inside.

The next time you head to the track, upgrade your experience with a Racing Electronics scanner and headset that will put you in the middle of the action.

B2B DRIVES MODERN NASCAR BUSINESS MODEL

BY JARED TURNER

In his first season with Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Blaine Perkins has an anchor partner that’s about more than just pouring sponsorship money into his No. 31 Chevrolet.

This partner, Werner Enterprises – a nearly 70-year-old Omaha, Nebraska-based transportation and logistics provider – is all about using its 10-race primary sponsorship to forge business-to-business (B2B) relationships with not only Jordan Anderson Racing but also other businesses that might otherwise be involved in NASCAR.

“I think just straight up writing a check to put a company on a race car isn’t really the business model of NASCAR anymore,” Perkins said. “It really is all these B2B deals you see in the garage that the fans don’t necessarily understand. For us, it’s all about trying to generate revenue for Werner and in turn having some of that come back to the racing side and continuing to grow these partnerships for years to come.

“They have the 10 primary races, which is the marketing aspect side of it, and it’s also a B2B deal – just trying to get companies to sign up with Werner and transfer their business in that direction.”

Perkins, who grew up in Bakersfield, California, where the grape industry is king, has longstanding personal connections to many businesses in that area. He believes those connections are of great benefit to Werner.

“My family has been in the grape industry my whole life,” Perkins said. “Even when I was going to school in Bakersfield, I was a grape inspector and going to all these different places, and I was really able to create a lot of really good relationships with a lot of different growers out there, and I’ve been able to just meet a lot of good people in the industry that have wanted to continue to support me in my racing.

“Werner, they are one of the largest trucking companies in the country, and they themselves do a great job and have a great reputation to stand behind. So, it’s just been really, from my side, trying to leverage any of the relationships that I’ve had in the past and grow those to hopefully have a mutually beneficial partnership for both sides.”

Werner specializes in providing companies throughout North America with dedicated and one-way truckload services and logistics services that include truckload brokerage, freight management, intermodal and final mile. The company’s goal is to ensure that shippers have the flexibility, efficiency and reliability they need to keep their supply chains moving.

“Werner’s reputation speaks for itself, but their on-time deliveries and customer service and everything they do from a company standpoint has made it really easy on my side to try to get some of these companies to switch over to Werner,” Perkins said. “And, in turn, that creates the B2B deal for me to continue racing.”

On race days this year, Jordan Anderson Racing has hosted representatives from a number of companies, all in an effort to connect them with Werner and lay the groundwork for a potential B2B arrangement.

“We’ve had different people come to the racetrack probably a good 10 to 15 races this year where we’ve introduced them to the sport and just said, ‘Hey, everybody’s doing trucking. If you guys want to switch over to Werner Transportation, maybe there’s a way we can get you guys on as an associate or primary sponsor on the race car at some point.’”

Werner, similarly, has sent company representatives to multiple races where they’ve joined with the folks from Jordan Anderson Racing to enjoy and, in some cases, offer firstclass hospitality experiences.

“Werner has done suites now at several races and brought out their own customers and their people internally with the goal of just continuing to bring more people to the NASCAR side because, obviously, trucking and NASCAR have a really similar fanbase and audience,” Perkins said. “I think they’re just excited from the ‘new’ aspect. Most of the people that come to the race tracks from their company have never been to a NASCAR race or been entertained at a NASCAR race where they see how much different it is than the other sports, with being able to come down to the garage and talk with not just me but the team, all the way up to national anthem.”

As much as Werner is interested in simply getting the most exposure possible for other companies that they may want to do business with, Perkins knows his on-track success is also key to the partnership between Werner and Jordan Anderson Racing bearing fruit for all parties.

“That’s everything,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a B2B deal, but they want to put the name of their company on a race car that’s running upfront. So, that’s a really big deal for us, and I feel like we’ve had some good runs with them this year.

“From our side, we want to just continue to keep running better for them.”

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Forney + Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport Team Up

From cutting and welding to final assembly, the team relies on Forney Industries tools to craft the parts that keep their NASCAR machines race-ready.

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport has partnered with Forney Industries, a leading manufacturer of welding and metalworking equipment, to bring added strength and precision to the team’s race shop. From fabrication to fine detail work, Forney tools help the crew build and maintain competitive cars every week, reinforcing a shared commitment to craftsmanship, performance, and pushing limits on and off the track.

• Angle Grinder

Sparks fly as a Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport crew member preps metal with a Forney angle grinder, a critical step in preparing parts for competition.

• TIG Welding

Precision work at its finest — a steady hand and a Forney TIG welder help bring race-ready components to life inside the shop.

• Plasma Cutting Steel meets plasma: A Forney 45 P plasma cutter slices through raw material as the fabrication team builds custom pieces for the car.

• MIG Welding

From framework to fine detail, Forney welding equipment keeps Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport’s machines strong, safe, and track-ready.

• Team Group Photo

United in the shop and at the track, the Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport crew stands behind the craftsmanship and tools that fuel their NASCAR journey.

INTHEGARAGE

JEB BURTON FORGES B2B RELATIONSHIPS

PERSONAL SERVICES DEALS OFTEN MORPH INTO SPONSORSHIPS

BY JARED TURNER

As a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, Jeb Burton couldn’t race full time without sponsorship deals that the co-owners of the team – former driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group owner John Bommarito – are able to secure.

But Burton doesn’t rely solely on his co-owners, and the sponsors they find, for funding. In fact, unlike most drivers, he regularly goes out and finds many partners on his own by forging business-to-business relationships that often begin as personal services agreements between himself and various brands, and eventually morph into partnerships that help keep his No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport Chevrolet on the race track.

Take State Water Heaters, for example. The Ashland, Tennessee-based company has partnered with the Burton family for the better part of 20 years, much of it through B2B relationships. But State Water Heaters isn’t just a primary sponsor on Jeb Burton’s race car; the company also supports his endeavors beyond the race track, which include, most notably, “Crossroads with the Burtons” – a Sportsman Channel TV show where Jeb, Ward and, oftentimes, special guests embark on hunting and fishing adventures all while championing conservation and land management.

Jeb Burton also teams with his father on a weekly podcast that carries the same “Crossroads with the Burtons” branding. Together, the TV show and the podcast, which airs as a video broadcast, pull in well over 600,000 monthly household viewers. Crossroads with the Burtons also attracts over 400,000 followers across multiple digital and social media channels.

“Our stuff is a lot more than just a show or a race car,” Burton said. “It’s everything. It’s social media, it’s the relationship, it’s the B2B, it’s the show, it’s the car, it’s everything. It’s not just one thing. It’s just a lot of hard work and a lot of different things we do to try to make it happen so I can pay for the racing side.”

This type of B2B exposure is ideal for almost any brand looking to amplify its customer reach.

How many personal services deals of Burton’s have ultimately turned into NASCAR sponsorships and B2B relationships where the sponsor gets the benefit of partnering with a NASCAR team and vice versa?

“I would say at least 10,” Burton said. “You’ve got to start small and show people why they should spend their money in racing and why they should activate at race tracks and why they should do those things. Racing and partnering in NASCAR with a race team and driver is one of the most powerful things you can do –from dealer programs to business-to-business, to exposure, all of it works together.”

From 2015 to 2020, Burton bounced around between the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, making cameo starts for different teams as opportunities presented themselves.

But eventually, the Halifax, Virginia, native grew weary of the instability and decided he would do whatever it took to lock in a full-time ride. That meant thinking outside the box and courting his own potential partners instead of following the more typical sponsorship model where the team is responsible for finding sponsors or a team owner or the family member of the driver foots the bill.

“I just started working really hard because I couldn’t find the funding that it took to do it, and I was like, ‘I’m going to do this myself. Nobody’s going to be able to find it. Nobody cares like I do. My dad and my mom can’t pay for it, so I’m going to go do it on my own,’” Burton said.

“We’re still not where we want to be. I want to be racing on Sundays. Everything still has a lot of growth left to it. I just want to keep bringing value to our partners.”

So, what exactly does bringing that value look like?

“What I always tell people is I think we can double their investment and make all their money back from the business-to-business to exposure side, so the racing can pay for itself,” Burton explained. “If people give us a 12-month opportunity, we have to go deliver on it and make sure they’re happy when they come back for negotiations for the next year.

“If you look at a lot of our partners, we have them year after year after year. Sometimes marketing people with companies change and you lose those relationships, but once we’ve built the relationships, it seems like we’re able to keep them.”

THE ROAD TO RECOVER FROM HURRICANE HELENE

The East Tennessee Foundation is humbled, grateful, and inspired by East Tennessee’s resilience and generosity as we recover from Hurricane Helene. While great progress has been made, the rebuilding will take time, and much work remains.

We are proud to partner with Speedway Children’s Charities to support continuing disaster recovery efforts in East Tennessee. Visit us in the Fan Zone at Bristol Motor Speedway on race weekend!

Changing Lives, One Dog at a Time

America’s VetDogs’ National Mission is to Support Veterans and First Responders

America’s VetDogs, a 501(c)(3) charity headquartered in Smithtown, New York, is making a tremendous and lasting impact on the lives of military veterans, active-duty service members and first responders with physical and emotional disabilities.

Since 2003, the non-profit organization has trained and placed nearly 1,200 service dogs with the men and women who have served the nation throughout all 50 U.S. states and territories.

These animals – primarily Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Lab/Golden crosses – are purpose bred at America’s VetDogs headquarters and training center on Long Island in New York. In most cases, these puppies then enter the organization’s prison puppy program when they are 8 to 10 weeks old. In this special program, incarcerated individuals at more than a dozen correctional facilities up and down the East Coast, with support from expert advisers, help raise and train puppies who will one day work as service dogs. In many facilities, incarcerated veterans participate in the program, which gives them an emotional connection to their dog’s future handler and partner.

VetDogs more than $50,000 to breed, raise, train and place one dog.

While the monetary contributions of individuals, corporations, foundations, businesses, and service and civic clubs certainly play a critical role in helping America’s VetDogs accomplish its mission, the same is true of the puppy raisers who devote countless hours to helping prepare the animals for life with their future owner.

“We rely on between 1,400 and 1,600 volunteers – the majority of whom are raising puppies for us either full-time or part-time throughout the year,” said Mike Rosen, chief marketing officer for America’s VetDogs. “It is an incredibly selfless way to give back to America’s heroes. You’re investing a year or so of your life into raising a puppy, and then you’re giving it back to us so that dog can change, and sometimes even save, the life of a veteran or first responder.”

Each weekend, the puppies go home with a volunteer weekend puppy raiser. These weekend puppy raisers – who generally live within 30 miles of the facility – teach house manners, socialize them to car rides and traffic noise, visit stores, restaurants and hospitals, and hang out with kids and families so that they will be confident wherever their future veteran partner will go. When the puppies are between 14 and 16 months old. these special canines return to the headquarters of America’s VetDogs. For the next three to four months, they will work with a certified service dog or guide dog mobility instructor as they continue their formal training to become a guide or service dog.

After an extensive evaluation process, a dog will be matched and custom trained for a military veteran, active-duty service member or first responder who has gone through the application process. Thanks to generous donors, these dogs and training are provided at no cost to the people the organization serves. It costs America’s

The job of a volunteer puppy raiser is twofold. It starts with basic obedience training, which involves the volunteer following the curriculum set by America’s VetDogs. “It’s ‘sit,’ ‘stay,’ ‘come,’ and ensuring the pups stay off the furniture and don’t beg for food, etc.,” Rosen said. “The most important role of a puppy raiser is socialization – getting that puppy accustomed to the sights, sounds and smells of the world that their future veteran or first responder handler may one day experience.

“We want our raisers to take them to work, take them into restaurants and bars, take them shopping, have them be around families and kids and other dogs. That way, they’ll really get used to anything that their future handler may one day walk into.”

Some puppy raisers have dedicated their time and energy to training more than 20-plus dogs for America’s VetDogs and its sister nonprofit, the Guide Dog Foundation, over the course of many years.

“If you or somebody you know may benefit from a service dog, apply,” Rosen said. “If you want to give back to the veteran and first responder community, volunteer. And if you have the wherewithal, consider donating. It’s an incredible way to give back and help save or change the life of a veteran or first responder who has served our nation or served your community.”

Learn how to apply, volunteer and donate at VetDogs.org/PolePosition.

Ty Dillon’sConfidence Skyrockets

Full-Time Kaulig Ride Proves He Belongs in Cup Series

BY DUSTIN ALBINO

Even before the NASCAR season began, Ty Dillon had loads of confidence. He’d joined Kaulig Racing during the offseason and felt it was his best opportunity to compete at the Cup Series level.

It’s hard to deny the facts.

Dillon, now 33 years old, has floated around the NASCAR garage for the last handful of seasons. Since Germain Racing, the Cup Series team for which Dillon drove four seasons, shuttered following the 2020 season, the thirdgeneration driver never had a stable landing spot.

Instead, Dillon tackled all three national touring series with multiple manufacturers.

“You always look at them and when you’re heading into that situation and thinking, ‘Is my future in the sport over?’” Dillon said. “You have to take a deep breath and give it your all and try to get better as a driver, physically, mentally, on and off the track, no matter what series you’re in or what opportunity you’re in.

“I try to take every opportunity I can to be at the race track and learn and at least show my face. As a driver, that means a lot in this sport because you can be forgotten about quickly. I’ve found that out, realizing the harder you grind after your goals and continue to work, the more opportunity comes alive. And when you take those opportunities, it’s about making the most of them.”

Dillon’s grateful for his racing journey. He didn’t take the easy road, instead has driven for numerous teams.

In 2021, he split time between the Cup and Xfinity Series, racing for the likes of Joe Gibbs Racing, Our Motorsports and Gaunt Brothers Racing. He returned to the Cup Series in 2022 with then-Petty GMS Motorsports, teammates with proven Cup Series winner Erik Jones. Midway through the season, the two sides mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season and Dillon found a gig with Spire Motorsports.

After one year with Spire, Dillon returned to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2024 with Rackley W.A.R. for what was scheduled to be his first full season in 11 years. With five races remaining, he split from the team, not knowing what his future held.

Dillon competed in a handful of Cup Series races last season for Kaulig Racing, making additional starts with Richard Childress Racing and Team AmniVert. In September, team owner Matt Kaulig announced Dillon would join his team’s Cup Series stable full time in 2025, replacing Daniel Hemric. Meanwhile, Kaulig made multiple hires behind the scenes to beef up its leadership side. All of the positivity led to Dillon knowing he was in good hands before the season kicked off.

“Last year, I ran five races with (Kaulig) and during those races, we had some solid success and ran well,” Dillon noted. “They had a carousel of drivers, but when I was in the car, things went well each attempt. Working with everyone in the shop, we all gelled together well, along with having a couple of sponsorships come together along the way. Things came together at the right time and we all have a common goal and common interest.”

It was important for Dillon to return to the Cup Series. He believes he’s among the best drivers in the sport and knows the determination it takes to stay afloat. Competing with the upper echelon of talent is what keeps the North Carolina native ticking.

“This is what you dream to do; you want to be a Cup race winner, Cup champion,” Dillon said. “That’s why I work so hard. I had to take a step back to be propelled forward. It’s where I want to be. If I’m not racing in Cup, it’s hard to continue the grind and do the things you have to do to be the best and you want to do it at the highest level.”

Collectively, Kaulig Racing has taken immense strides forward this season. Until multiple new race winners popped up late in the regular season, A.J. Allmendinger was in the playoff hunt, returning to the No. 16 Chevrolet after spending 2024 in the Xfinity Series. Dillon was mentioned throughout the summer as the No. 10 team made a Cinderella-like run during the inaugural In-Season Challenge. Ultimately, Ty Gibbs snubbed Dillon of $1 million in the finals at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but he considered it the run of his career which included a streak of four consecutive top-20 finishes.

Competing for Kaulig is the most fun Dillon has had at the Cup Series level. Despite ranking as a fringe 30th-place contender, the No. 10 team has been talked about more than in recent seasons. Dillon has been in the mix for other solid finishes, including going off strategy compared to the bulk of the field during the spring race at Phoenix Raceway. Had Dillon not got a pit-road penalty, it’s plausible that he could have contended for the victory.

“We’ve competed inside the top 15 a lot this year,” Dillon noted. “I don’t think the results have shown how well we’ve run week in and week out. Our execution at the end of the race hasn’t been perfect and not where we want it to be, but we have been running solid in these races – better than I’ve ran in my career.”

Throughout the regular season, Dillon had an average finish of 23rd, which is akin to what he’s accomplished in prior years. The difference this year, he believes, is the depth of the series.

“If you look at the points number, it doesn’t look better than anything in the past,” he said. “The sport is way deeper than my rookie season. In my rookie season, there were six or seven cars that parked after the first third of the race and just staying out of trouble, you would finish in the top 25. That’s a difference to now where all the way back to 36, you’ve got to run as hard as you can. Running 36th is equal to running 10th in the Xfinity Series, in my opinion. The drivers are that good and you’ve got to be at the top of your game. We’ve got to find ways to score more points so that number shows a little better.”

Dillon hopes to continue moving forward with Kaulig for years to come, noting, he’d like to finish his career with the organization. Having a home with any team is something Dillon has lacked since his Germain days, and he hopes the No. 10 team can build on what it’s established for 2026.

“This would be the first time in a really long time that I’ve been with the same team, same group for more than just one year,” Dillon said. “That means a lot to build that continuity and go back to tracks for a second time with a notebook, knowing some things and the uncommunicated process after working together and experience with different teams.

“I haven’t had that for six years. It’s been a long time since I have had that continuity and I would love to experience that again, especially with this team. We have so many smart people working together, and to have a full offseason to grow.”

Away from the track, Dillon has been learning more about the business of running a race team with Richard Childress Racing. Though he doesn’t have an official label, he and his brother, Austin Dillon, have their voices and opinions heard in weekly meetings at RCR. Their grandfather, Richard Childress, continues to mentor and counsel them toward the future.

Dillon hopes to race for upward of another decade before transitioning to the business side. He grew up within the walls of RCR, making it a natural fit to continue the family business.

“It’s something that I care about,” Dillon said. “RCR is where I grew up and lived my whole life, not just because of racing but that’s where we spent time. For me, being able to go back and contribute and give back to those people who have cared about not only my career but my life, means the world to me. It’s easy to get up every day and not only work hard to be the best Cup driver I can, but also split my time being a father, husband and helping push a company that has meant so much to my whole life. Those are three things that I love and is easy to work hard on and that’s what take up my days right now.

Dillon believes the addition of team president Mike Verlander will continue to do wonders for the organization and that he’s the guy that will continue taking RCR to new heights.

“Austin and I aren’t pushing all the buttons, but we’re listening and contributing ideas from our perspectives currently,” Dillon said. “Both of our main focuses right now are being the best drivers we can, but we’re also learning the business and seeing how we can help.”

SHELDON CREED

Creed Has Yet to Crack the Code for Winning in Xfinity Series

BY JARED TURNER

In his fourth full season as a NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Sheldon Creed is no stranger to running up front and contending for victories.

After all, during his time at the Xfinity Series level, he’s competed for two of the sport’s premier teams in Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing. And he’s currently competing for Haas Factory Team, the lone surviving asset of Stewart-Haas Racing, a top-tier organization that ceased operations at the end of 2024.

But more than 125 races into his Xfinity Series tenure, Creed – who triumphed eight times over his last two seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and captured the 2020 Truck Series title – still hadn’t cracked the code for winning a race in the Xfinity ranks, considered NASCAR’s No. 2 division.

“This year has been, I would say OK, but, yeah, just a lot of opportunities to win, leading laps, and just dumb things happening at the end, or I had a car capable of winning and took myself out of it or got buried on a pit stop and couldn’t really show how good the car was.”

Since joining the Xfinity Series with RCR in 2022, Creed has been quite the journeyman. Following a two-year stint with the organization owned and founded by NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, he left the company of his own accord for a better opportunity with JGR – founded and owned by another NASCAR Hall of Famer, Joe Gibbs.

I’ve gone up and down with confidence the last couple of years, and I’ve had highs and lows. But when you do win, it just all comes back, I feel like.

To say he’s been surprised by his absence from Victory Lane would be an understatement.

“If you’d have told me when I was done racing trucks at the end of 2021 going into 2022 that I’d be sitting at 125 Xfinity Series races with no wins, I probably would have chuckled and said, ‘You’re crazy. There’s no way.’ But here we are,” Creed said. “It’s been a roller coaster, for sure. I feel like my first year in the Xfinity Series, it was just trying to figure it all out. I had good runs but wasn’t consistent enough. The second year went better. I feel like every year has gone better.

But following a winless 2024, Creed did not receive an invitation to remain with JGR for a second season. Now, as driver of the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Ford, he’s with his third team and third manufacturer in as many years.

While this certainly wasn’t the way Creed planned it, the 28-year-old native of Alpine, California, has managed to find some positives in all the shuffling.

“You don’t want to be the guy that’s just bouncing around from team to team,” Creed emphasized. “Some of it was choice, some of it was circumstantial, but it’s been fun in a way to see three different teams and how they operate and how different the cars

drive, because they’re all different. And then the way each different manufacturer’s motor performs is all different as well.

“So, I’ve gotten a feel for a lot of different things and feel that I share good information on what others did or did not do. If I had a choice, like from the beginning, I’d want to be with the same team through Xfinity all the way to Cup. That’s just not how it’s gone, but I’ve actually really enjoyed the different groups of people and the way everything works.”

Creed has found his situation with the newly branded Haas Factory Team, which fields a lone Cup Series entry and a pair of Xfinity Series cars, to be kind of refreshing after racing for JGR and RCR – Cup Series championship-winning organizations that compete in both of NASCAR’s top two divisions.

“Gibbs is fairly serious, and you didn’t have great teammates,” Creed said. “There was usually always a Cup guy in one of the Xfinity Series cars. So, you’re always trying to outrun or run with whoever the Cup guy is, just to kind of see where you’re at, because the goal for all of us is to race on Sundays. But, yeah, I feel like the pressure is down at Haas Factory Team. Everyone, I feel like, is pulling the boat in the same direction.”

That was certainly not the vibe Creed experienced at RCR, especially near the end of his time with the Welcome, North Carolina-based organization. After already announcing his plans to leave for JGR at the end of 2023, Creed found himself locked in an intense last-lap battle for the win with teammate Austin Hill in the playoff elimination race at Martinsville Speedway where both drivers were chasing a berth in the Championship 4.

Contact between the two ultimately allowed JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier to sneak past both for the win, which eliminated Creed and Hill from title contention. Later, team owner Richard Childress called Creed “stupid” in a post-race interview while Hill told reporters he looked forward to Creed’s upcoming departure from the organization.

Looking back on all of that drama now nearly two years later, Creed admittedly sometimes wishes he could get a do-over of the final lap.

“I’ve played it in my head, gosh, dozens of times on just ways I think I could have played the back straightaway differently, to not let the 21 (Hill) be as far next to me,” he said. “I had drug (the brake) off of Turn 2 to keep him next to me and probably let him get too far up. He kind of door-slammed me into Turn 3 and didn’t help either of us make the corner. But I don’t blame it at all on him.

“There’s things I could have done different, too, to better at least my situation, if not both of ours. I don’t know. I try not to think about it. I feel like being in the race car every week, you’re more focused on how to learn from it, be better and move to the next week, you know?”

The harsh criticism from Hill and Childress in the aftermath of Martinsville bothered Creed at first, but he’s since been able to move beyond it.

“Austin and I have talked, oh, tons of times since then,” Creed said. “We’ve hung out and actually talked about it a ton while driving a couple of beers together. I think our first conversation we both explained each other’s sides and why we were both irritated. Our relationship kind of got better from there, and we’ve talked about it and kind of laughed about it since. Austin apologized for everything, and I feel like we’ve come a long way since then.”

Creed still hasn’t heard directly from Childress.

“It was more between Austin and I,” he said. “I didn’t really care what, I guess, Richard had to say. Obviously, everyone has opinions in the heat of the moment, and that’s the product of our sport. It’s high-risk, high-pressure, and everyone has an opinion. Fans and everyone. I wouldn’t say it’s always fun to be in the middle of those situations, but it’s part of it.”

Creed believes going through that experience at Martinsville and being the object of such intense scrutiny in the days after has made him a more conscientious driver.

“I feel like I’ve learned so much about how to handle situations,” he said. “I try to always be, I guess, myself and be responsible in those situations, because you’re not just worried about your own brand, but your sponsors and your manufacturer and everyone you’re racing for. As hard as it can be, you try to think of everyone that’s supporting you, rather than act a fool and make it worse.”

With his time at RCR and JGR now in the rearview mirror and Creed no longer dealing with a team culture that seems to almost relish conflict, his focus is squarely on getting his long-awaited first Xfinity Series win.

“It’s going to be massive,” he said. “And I feel like so much of my confidence will just naturally come back. I feel like I’ve gone up and down with confidence the last couple of years, and I’ve had highs and lows. But when you do win, it just all comes back, I feel like.

“So, yeah, I feel like I’ll be that much better of a competitor every week and just believe in everything I’m feeling and saying.”

Women of the ARCA Menards Series

BY KAUY OSTIEN

The ARCA Menards Series is viewed as a stepping stone for those attempting to “make it” in NASCAR.

In addition, diversity among competitors on the track and on pit road has long been a signature of the Ohio-based sanctioning body, which has recently enjoyed a significant increase in participation by female drivers.

These eight women are not only making an impact in the various ARCA series this season, they are inspiring future generations of female racers. Here are their stories.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

ON THE RACE TRACK, AND IN YOUR HOME

State Water Heaters is excited to partner with Jeb Burton on the race track and the whole Burton family on their outdoor TV show Crossroads with the Burtons. Just like Jeb Burton knows the value of high performing equipment on the track, we know the importance of high performing equipment in your home. Our ProLine® water heaters are designed to provide tough, commercialgrade performance that your family can rely on.

QUINN DAVIS NO. 31

RISE MOTORSPORTS

At 16 years old, Davis is another newcomer who made her ARCA Menards Series debut during the 2025 season. Having raced Quarter Midgets since she was 5 years old, Davis is moving up the ranks at lightning speed, adding Bandoleros and Pro Late Models to her racing resume.

Her season kicked off in the ARCA Menards Series East, finishing an impressive ninth at the historic Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Davis then made her debut in the national ARCA Series at Elko Speedway in June, bringing Rise Motorsports’ No. 31 entry home 11th after starting 17th.

In her other starts at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Iowa Speedway, Davis also improved on her starting positions, though she failed to improve on her debut finish.

KATHERINE LEGGE NO. 23

SIGMA PERFORMANCE SERVICES

At 45, Legge is one of the most experienced drivers to enter an ARCA Menards Series race this season. Though she has made NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in the past, the former IMSA winner and open-wheel racer shockingly switched her focus to stock car racing earlier this season.

Legge made just one start in the ARCA Menards Series this year, finishing 39th after running only three laps at Daytona International Speedway. Nonetheless, this start was part of a larger season in NASCAR for Legge. She ultimately made her Cup Series debut at Phoenix and, as of press time, had scored a career-best finish of 17th in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

LANIE BUICE NO. 2 REV RACING

BUICE MADE HER ARCA Menards Series debut this season and is also competing in the Late Model Stock division of the CARS Tour.

The 18-year-old native of Jackson, Georgia, is well-versed in the world of Late Model racing, finishing second in the 2023 Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series at Florence Motor Speedway with 14 top-10 finishes.

Piloting Rev Racing’s No. 2 entry in three ARCA Menards Series starts this season, Buice had earned two top-10 finishes. Oddly enough, for the short-track racer, these results cams on intermediate tracks, with a 10th-place finish at Kansas Speedway and a career-best eighthplace showing in her series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

AMBER BALCAEN

NO. 70 NITRO MOTORSPORTS

Balcaen is one of the most experienced drivers in the ACRA Menards Series over the past few seasons, making 45 career starts since 2022.

Having raced full time in the national series twice in her four seasons of action, she is still surprised by the number of female competitors in ARCA.

“In my 23 years of racing, I’ve never seen so many women, so many female competitors that I race against,” Balcaen said. “When I raced dirt, I was always the only girl, and now, to be 23 years into it, seeing how many more females are part of it is amazing.”

Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Balcaen started racing dirt karts in Canada and the northern United States. Even though she grew up in a racing family, Balcaen had to forge her own path.

“My family never gave me any financial backing; I’ve raised every dollar in sponsorship by myself,” Balcaen noted. “I bought my own go-kart when I was 10 and raised all my own sponsorship for all my dirt racing and pavement racing.”

After continuing her path into dirt sprint cars, Balcaen transitioned to asphalt via the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, where she immediately took to winning on asphalt. She debuted in what is now the ARCA Menards Series East and West in 2017 and 2021, before racing full time in the national ARCA Series in 2022.

Though she is racing part time this season, Balcaen hopes to return to full-time competition.

“I feel like I haven’t really got to show what I’m capable of,” Balcaen said. “I think, given the right team, the right sponsors, the right people behind me, and now that I have some experience underneath me, I think I could do a lot more.”

ISABELLA ROBUSTO

NO. 55

VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS

Growing up, Robusto worked her way through several types of racing, including go-karts, Bandoleros, Legend Cars and Late Model Stock Cars. Her path to ARCA began when she joined Toyota’s driver development program at age 16.

Following this move, Robusto had the chance to race in other disciplines while focusing on Late Model competition, eventually splitting seat time between the ARCA Menards Series and the CARS Tour Late Model Stock division.

Making her ARCA debut at Phoenix, Robusto took to the series quickly, scoring top-five finishes in two of her first three starts. During the 2024 season finale at Kansas Speedway, Robusto was the talk of the town, posting a 174.78 mph pole lap.

Though she wrecked after just one lap, Robusto says winning the pole at Kansas was a great introduction to her competitors.

“I feel like it definitely helped show everyone that I belong, and I’m not there just because I’m a girl,” Robusto said. “I’m there because I can compete for the race win week in and week out.”

This season, racing full time with Venturini, Robusto has run toward the front of the pack in most races, including a stretch of three top-five finishes from Dover to Iowa during the summer.

BECCA MONOPOLI NO.

85

CITY GARAGE MOTORSPORTS

Monopoli made her ARCA debut in 2024, but she is by no means new to motorsports. Like many competitors, the 36-year-old grew up in a racing family and has competed in the shorttrack ranks since she was 21. She is also an accomplished Pro Truck racer.

At press time, Monopoli had made five starts in the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season, including three in the No. 85 entry fielded by City Garage Motorsports. In race seven, Monopoli tied her career best finish of 11th at Berlin Raceway in Michigan.

REGINA SIRVENT

NO. 68 KIMMEL RACING

SIRVENT MAY BE A NEW name in the ARCA Menards Series this season, but the 21-year-old is an experienced racer and a winner in the Truck Mexico Series. Sirvent has also competed in the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and was a member of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.

The native of Mexico City made her ARCA Menards Series with Kimmel Racing, finishing 14th at Michigan International Speedway in June. At press time, she had made subsequent starts at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Iowa Speedway.

In her most recent race at Iowa, she brought the No. 68 car home in 13th place.

JADE AVEDISIAN NO. 25

VENTURINI MOTORSPORTS

Driving for Venturini Motorsports, Avedisian made her ARCA Menards Series debut on the DuQuoin dirt in August.

For the 18-year-old, this race was a long time coming. She made a name for herself racing on dirt, winning the 2023 Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series championship, before transitioning to Late Model competition on pavement.

“My dad used to work on dirt sprint cars when he

was growing up, and when I was born, I was just introduced very young through him going to the race track and watching him work in the dirt racing,” Avedisian explained.

Her first car, a Quarter Midget, was given to her at age 4. “I just didn’t really like it,” she recalled.

After a few years, Avedisian fell in love with the sport and began racing at age 10.

While she made her name in the dirt world, Avedisian broke into the national spotlight earlier this season. She became the first woman to win in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model division.

Avedisian will undoubtedly be watched closely in ARCA, though she doesn’t put too much pressure on herself as a woman in racing.

“Obviously, it’s really cool for me, for the sport, to have another female in it (ARCA), but, truthfully, I don’t put too much thought into it, and I just want to win and go do the best I can,” Avedisian said.

SOUTH DAKOTA

Hickory Motor Speedway

ONCE A PILLAR OF WHAT IS NOW THE NASCAR CUP SERIES SCHEDULE

NORTH CAROLINA

One of the most fabled short tracks in the country, Hickory Motor Speedway has built a reputation over seven-and-a-half decades as a place where NASCAR greats have cut their proverbial teeth and future stars of the sport are born.

The list of legends who’ve competed at the North Carolina facility includes household surnames such as Petty, Pearson, Earnhardt and Jarrett. But when one considers Hickory’s location – about an hour from Charlotte, North Carolina, and the heart of NASCAR country – it’s no surprise that so many impact players have traversed the tiny asphalt oval.

Change Has Been a Constant

Since opening in 1951, Hickory Motor Speedway has undergone several transformations and served in a variety of roles. Once a pillar of what is now the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, Hickory hosted its first Cup Series race in 1953 and remained part of the tour through the 1971 season.

Later, beginning in 1982, the speedway played host to what is today known as the NASCAR Xfinity Series and was a part of that series’ schedule for 17 years. Since then, the track has been a popular venue for lower divisions, including the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and the zMAX CARS Tour.

Hickory Motor Speedway has sported four

configurations since its inception, morphing from its original layout into a four-tenths-mile dirt track in 1955. The track took on pavement a dozen years later and in 1970 was shortened to its current length of .363 miles. Its present layout is unique in that Turns 1 and 2 feature a higher degree of banking than Turns 3 and 4.

Some of the Best Ever

The well-known figures who competed at Hickory Motor Speedway are very much a who’s who in the sport. They included Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Ralph Earnhardt, Tim Flock, Jack Ingram and Tommy Houston.

Several of these men achieved great success at Hickory, collecting trophies and track championships while winning over the hearts of many fans who were lucky enough to watch them race.

“I was 9 years old when I attended my first event at Hickory Motor Speedway,” Hickory Motor Speedway General Manager Kevin Piercy said. “NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram won the race, but the sights, the smell of hot tire rubber and the fabrication and paint in those older cars had me hooked.

“Fifty-two years later, a lot has changed, but at the age of 61, I still love this historic old race track.”

In recent years, Hickory has served as a training ground for current day NASCAR Cup Series superstars such as William Byron and Josh Berry.

What’s Next for Hickory?

In keeping with the track’s tradition, change is in the air again. One is the addition of the Hickory Motor Speedway Grand Slam, a four-race championship crown for the Late Models of the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

Also new is a 10-foot-by-32-foot Jumbotron Scoreboard and Videoboard. It has a much cleaner view of the scoreboard positions and offers a live feed of the racing.

LOCATION

Newton, North Carolina

NICKNAME

America’s Most Famous Short Track TRACK OPENED 1951 TRACK TYPE Oval with variable banking TRACK LENGTH .363 miles

TRACK SURFACE

Asphalt SEATING CAPACITY

12,000 (9,500 in grandstands)

FEATURED DIVISIONS

Late Models, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Super Trucks and Renegades.

LEGENDS OF THE TRACK

Harry Gant, Jack Ingram, Dale Earnhardt, Ralph Earnhardt, Ned Jarrett, Tim Flock, Tommy Houston, William Byron and Josh Berry. KEY EVENT IN HISTORY

Hosting the NASCAR Cup Series in 1953 for the first time.

Summit Raceway

A COMMUNITY-DRIVEN RACING FACILITY

WORDS:

NEVADA

In the mountains between Elko and Spring Creek, Nevada, Summit Raceway is one of the world’s most unique short tracks. The quartermile, D-shaped clay track was built in 1984 and is owned and operated by a board of directors – a structure the nonprofit facility has followed since Day 1.

Summit Raceway hosts some of the top drivers across the western United States and features kart racing for children ages 5 to 14. It’s a true community racing facility, as many locals work in nearby gold mines during the week before coming together at the track to enjoy their shared passion for racing.

“We are surrounded by the gold mines in northern Nevada where many of our members and racers work. There are approximately 10 underground gold mines and 12 open-pit gold mines where we make our livings and enjoy our hobbies racing at Summit Raceway,” said Matt Rucker, track president and race promoter.

A Community Built Facility

Summit Raceway opened in 1984, and its origin is as unique as its mountain setting. The track was the idea of the Northern Nevada Motorsports Association, a local car club. Construction began with the help of NNMA board members and volunteers from the community.

It was, and still is, a passion project.

“Ruby Dome Inc. owner Robert Dorsa and his son Steve Dorsa donated time and equipment like scrapers and dozers, along with Frehner Construction, to get the track started. The city of Elko even allowed one of their employees to use the city landfill dozer,” Rucker added.

In its early days, only 7 to 12 cars would show up on a given weekend. Since then, the track has grown substantially. Today, an average of 70 cars participate weekly, with major events drawing well over 100 entries.

Racing at Summit

The track’s biggest annual event is the Gold Rush race, which regularly draws more than 100 entries. Heat races are set by random draw, and the winner receives a $1,000 prize from the track, with additional purse money provided by sponsors.

SOUTH DAKOTA

LOCATION

Elko, Nevada

TRACK OPENED 1984

TRACK TYPE D-shaped layout

TRACK LENGTH Quarter mile

TRACK SURFACE Clay SEATING CAPACITY

Summit Raceway offers something for everyone, both on and off the track. Children as young as 5 can begin racing in the Beginner Box Stock Outlaw Kart division. From there, they can move up to the Intermediate division for ages 6 to 10, and then to the Advanced division for ages 11 to 14.

Spectators have plenty of seating options. Traditional grandstands line the front stretch, but the track’s bowl-like setting also makes it ideal for tailgating. The facility can accommodate around 6,500 fans.

Now, for the first time in more than 40 years, the track is preparing for a major change. Plans are underway to move to a new location.

“We are both excited for the new opportunities the new track will provide but sad to leave the heart where Summit Raceway started. We have just run out of real estate,” said Rucker.

The board has acquired a 47-acre property in Elko County where a new motorsports complex will be developed. Construction is expected to begin soon. Until then, race fans still have the chance to enjoy Summit Raceway in its original and legendary location.

6,500 FEATURED DIVISIONS IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, 360 Spec sprints, Hobby Stocks, Mini Mods, Micro Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Sport Compacts, Outlaw Karts (for all ages).

LEGENDS OF THE TRACK Wade Taylor, Joe Hood, Bob Massie and Mike Skinner.

KEY EVENT IN HISTORY

The annual Gold Rush race.

Nevada

The Bullring at LVMS

SHORT TRACK THRIVES IN SUPERSPEEDWAY’S SHADOW

WORDS: JARED TURNER PHOTOGRAPHY: THE BULLRING

NEVADA

Situated about a thousand yards from Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and on the same property as the sprawling 1.5-mile oval that’s hosted NASCAR Cup Series races since 1998, is The Bullring at LVMS – a three-eighths-mile paved short track that predates its superspeedway neighbor by more than a decade.

Unlike LVMS, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is a place where semi-professional and amateur racers hone their skills in hopes of eventually making it to NASCAR’s big leagues, and many who’ve competed at the popular short track in “Sin City” have done just that.

Notable Alumni of The Bullring

Three current-day NASCAR Cup Series drivers – Kyle Busch, Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst – all competed as teenagers at The Bullring. The same is true of Kyle’s older brother Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion.

“That’s where I ran my first-ever race car, a Bandolero, when I was 13 years old,” Gragson said. “I kind of got a late start, but I always remember pulling into the pits and being at that track where you can see the banking on the big track not far away, just across the street, on the other side of the parking lot. Getting over there was always the goal.”

Between 1999 and 2001, Kyle Busch, a twotime NASCAR Cup Series champion, captured

65 Legend Car wins and earned two track championships at The Bullring. When Busch moved up to Late Models, his winning ways continued.

“My fondest racing memory is probably my first Late Model race,” Busch said. “I started about eighth or 10th and ended up winning it. My first-ever start, I won. So that is definitely a great memory to have.”

Theme Nights Are Dream Nights

While most widely known for the future stars of NASCAR it has produced, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is also synonymous locally with its theme nights honoring different populations of people who’ve made positive impacts in their communities and beyond.

These special events include Hometown Heroes Night, Military and Veterans Appreciation Night and a Fourth of July week celebration.

“I think what we do great with our short-track racing is how involved we are with the community,” said Jose Guerrero, the communications manager at LVMS and The Bullring. “For example, on Military Appreciation Night, anyone who has an active military service or veteran ID can go in for free with a family of four just to see the racing and stuff like that. The theme nights that we have throughout the year just really help out the track and make it a fun opportunity for people to go see some racing while they wait for NASCAR.”

Back to the Future

Like their NASCAR Cup Series superstar dads who came before them, Brexton Busch (Kyle’s son) and Keelan Harvick (Kevin Harvick’s son) have competed in fairly recent times at The Bullring.

In fact, in the spring of 2024, Brexton made The Bullring the site of his first Bandolero race on the West Coast.

So, the tradition of The Bullring serving as a training space for aspiring NASCAR Cup Series drivers is alive and well. One generation at a time.

LOCATION

Las Vegas, Nevada

NICKNAME

The Las Vegas Short Track

TRACK OPENED

1985

TRACK TYPE

Banked oval

TRACK LENGTH

Three-eighths mile

TRACK SURFACE

Asphalt SEATING CAPACITY

5,400 permanent grandstand seats

FEATURED DIVISIONS

Pro Late Models, Legend Cars, Bandoleros, Skid Plate Cars, ARCA Menards Series West and SPEARS Cars Tour West Series.

LEGENDS OF THE TRACK

Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Noah Gragson, Riley Herbst and Brendan Gaughan.

KEY EVENT IN HISTORY

Refurbishing of the track in 2000.

Havasu 95 Speedway

ARIZONA’S DIAMOND IN THE DESERT

ARIZONA

Just off of Arizona’s Route 95 near the California border, sits Havasu 95 Speedway. Located within a three-hour drive of both Phoenix and Las Vegas, this quarter-mile paved oval has a unique history and plays a major role in keeping asphalt racing alive in the desert Southwest.

A Track with Three Lives

After taking more than seven years to build, SARA Park Raceway opened in March 1989 as a quarter-mile dirt track. Built and managed by the Havasu Off-Road Racing Association, the track’s early years were anything but consistent because, according to the track’s website, “When the clay ran out, they closed the gates.”

The track’s opening chapter lasted only until 1996 at which time the racing surface was paved to start a new era as the story moved to chapter two.

However, SARA Park Raceway failed to find its groove in the pavement racing universe and racing came to a halt again in 2000. The facility sat abandoned until it was brought back to life in 2005, thanks in part to the efforts of current promoter Bill Rozhon.

With support from the Lake Havasu City Council and following a wide range of repairs and facility improvements, SARA Park Raceway was re-opened in 2006 as Havasu 95 Speedway– marking the start of its third and most successful chapter.

Inside the Schedule

Though the track’s clay days ended in the 1990s, a nod to that heritage still exists – on a smaller scale.

FACTS Arizona

LOCATION

Havasu 95 Speedway actually features two racing surfaces. The main track is a quarter-mile, two-groove asphalt oval with 9 degrees of banking. Nestled inside the frontstretch is a flat onesixteenth-mile clay oval designed specifically for divisions like the Outlaw Karts.

In addition to its unusual dual-track setup, Havasu 95 Speedway also flips the typical racing calendar. While most short tracks run from spring through fall, Havasu’s season begins in October and wraps up in April, taking advantage of milder winter weather in the Arizona desert.

Racing at Havasu 95 Speedway

Throughout the season, the track plays host to a wide variety of racing divisions. These include Pro Late Models, 602 Modifieds, Street Stocks, Factory Stocks, Legend Cars, 206 Outlaw Karts, Flat Karts and 125 Animals, Dwarf Cars, and Vintage Midgets & Sprints.

Havasu 95 Speedway also brings in a few touring series throughout the year. Among its most notable 2024-’25 dates was a Feb. 8 stop for the SPEARS CARS Tour West Pro Late Model Series – one of the top Pro Late Model tours on the West Coast. Dylan Zampa came away with the victory that weekend.

From grassroots racers to rising regional stars, Havasu 95 Speedway has solidified its place as a can’t-miss venue in the Southwest. Its story – once defined by inconsistency – is now one of growth, legacy and family-owned success.

Races from the track are streamed live on Low Budget TV, and fans can learn more or view the full schedule by visiting havasu95speedway.com.

Lake Havasu City, Arizona

NICKNAME

Havasu 95

TRACK OPENED 1989

TRACK TYPES

Ovals – outer and inner TRACK LENGTH

Outer: quartermile; Inner: onesixteenth mile TRACK SURFACE

Outer: asphalt; Inner: clay SEATING CAPACITY

Over 2,500

FEATURED DIVISIONS

Pro Late Models, 602 Modifieds, Street Stocks, Factory Stocks, Legend Cars, 206 Outlaw Karts, Flat Karts and 125 Animals.

KEY EVENT IN HISTORY

The track’s grand reopening in September 2006 under the promotion of Bill Rozhon and his family.

Skagit Speedway

A HUB FOR SPRINT CAR RACING IN THE NORTHWEST

WORDS: KAUY OSTLIEN PHOTOGRAPHY: SKAGIT SPEEDWAY

WASHINGTON

Organized by sanctioning bodies such as AAA, IMCA and later USAC, Sprint Car racing was born and raised on the short tracks of the Midwest. Eventually, this popular open-wheel racing division branched out and became the headline attraction at multiple marquee tracks in other regions of the country – especially up and down the West Coast.

Skagit Speedway was one of those West Coast tracks that embraced Sprint Car racing during its early years. And today, Skagit Speedway, a three-tenths-mile clay oval located in Burlington, Washington, is a premier dirt-racing venue that serves as a hub for Sprint Car racing in the Northwest.

Thrilling Fans Since 1954

While the Northwest is not necessarily known as a hotbed of auto racing, Skagit opened on Sept. 1, 1954, and has created a tight-knit community of supporters, some of whom have been attending races there since Dwight Eisenhower was president.

Of course, a race track with a high level of notoriety, like Skagit Speedway, has gone through several changes. This includes numerous renovations and technology upgrades during the early 2000s and, in recent years, the implementation of modern, at-track amenities such as MyRacePass and online ticketing.

Cultural Lifeline of Dirt Racing

Skagit Speedway is directly tied to the cultural lifeline of dirt racing in the Evergreen State, so it’s no surprise that the track played a role in the early development of multi-time

NASCAR Cup Series race winner and Enumclaw, Washington, native Kasey Kahne.

FAST FACTS Washington

Nowadays, it’s common to hear some notable names from the current West Coast racing scene mixing it up on the clay with Skagit locals, such as Trey Starks.

Starks was the track’s 360 Sprint Car champion last season and is a consistent threat to win week in and week out.

The Heart of Skagit Speedway

Throughout the racing season, Skagit’s weekly schedule features fan-favorite divisions such as Modifieds, Hornets and Focus Midgets. But one type of race car still reigns supreme in Burlington, Washington – Sprint Cars.

Over the years, major series have brought Sprint Car racing’s best to town. This season, the Kubota High Limit Racing Series, which visited Skagit for the first time a year ago, will headline the dance card by sanctioning the Aug. 28-30 Skagit Nationals.

In addition to a national series event like the Nationals, Skagit annually hosts the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup. It is one of the nation’s preeminent 410 Sprint Car events, attracting top racers from up and down West Coast and across the country. This year’s three-day event will take place June 19-21.

Like so many other well-established short tracks, Skagit Speedway is built on a foundation of legacy and community, making it a true jewel among West Coast short tracks.

For those looking to witness the excitement firsthand, Skagit Speedway’s website (skagitspeedway.com) provides full event schedules, ticket information and race details. Fans unable to attend in person can catch select races through streaming platforms, with live broadcast details updated online.

Also, make sure to check out the track’s various social media channels.

LOCATION

Burlington, Washington

TRACK

OPENED

Sept. 1, 1954

TRACK TYPE

Banked oval TRACK LENGTH

Three-tenths mile

TRACK SURFACE Clay

SEATING CAPACITY

10,000 in the stands, 2,000 in the grass

FEATURED DIVISIONS

410 Sprint Cars, 360 Sprint Cars, Sportsman Sprint Cars, Outlaw Tuners, Modifieds and Focus Midgets.

LEGENDS OF THE TRACK

Jim Raper KEY EVENT IN HISTORY

The creation of the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup in 1972. Ross Fontes won the inaugural event.

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Flock Flies to 18 Wins

Flock Flies to 18 Wins

I n 1 9 5 5 , A t l a n t a n a t i v e

T i m F l o c k h e l d steady in one of Carl Kiekhaefer’s Chrysler 300s en route to 18 victories and his second NASCAR Cup Series championship

T i m l o c k h e l d steady in one of Carl Kiekhaefer’s Chrysler 300s en route to 18 victories and his second NASCAR Cup Series championship

Flock completed his seventh NASCAR season that year with one of the most prominent teams on the circuit Kiekhaefer, a boat engine manufacturer from Wisconsin, tried his hand at creating a top NASCAR organization Going into the season, several drivers were hired to wheel his Chryslers, putting top-of-the-line cars and equipment with top drivers. Kiekhaefer was extremely determined to win and knew he had a strong chance with Flock behind the wheel of one his cars

Flock completed his seventh NASCAR season that year with one of the most prominent teams on the circuit Kiekhaefer, a boat engine manufacturer from Wisconsin, tried his hand at creating a top NASCAR organization Going into the season, several drivers were hired to wheel his Chryslers, putting top-of-the-line cars and equipment with top drivers. Kiekhaefer was extremely determined to win and knew he had a strong chance with Flock behind the wheel of one his cars

That year, Flock’s brothers, Fonty and Bob, also wheeled cars out of Kiekhaefer’s stable It was older brother Tim who proved to have the most successful season

That year, Flock’s brothers, Fonty and Bob, also wheeled cars out of Kiekhaefer’s stable It was older brother Tim who proved to have the most successful season

Course in Day tona Beach, Florida, on Feb 27 From there, Flock often began a string of short-track victories that were preceded by 18 pole positions

Course in Day tona Beach, Florida, on Feb 27 From there, Flock often began a string of short-track victories that were preceded by 18 pole positions

His wins came in such places as Rochester, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Syracuse, New York; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Weaverville, North Carolina; Morristown, New Jersey; and Langhorne, Pennsylvania, to name only a few

His wins came in such places as Rochester, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina; Syracuse, New York; Spartanburg, South Carolina; Weaverville, North Carolina; Morristown, New Jersey; and Langhorne, Pennsylvania, to name only a few

Flock ended his season with a victor y at Hillsboro Speedway

Flock ended his season with a victor y at Hillsboro Speedway

onship came while driving a Hudson for team owner Ted Chester in 1952

onship came while driving a Hudson for team owner Ted Chester in 1952

Charlotte city bus driver Buck Baker went to Victor y Lane 14 times in 1956 Baker also accumulated 39 top-10 results in 48 starts that season He was the class of the field at ever y track where he raced and was clearly the fan favorite Baker claimed the championship by 586 points over former teammate Thomas, who did not compete in the final three races.

Charlotte city bus driver Buck Baker went to Victor y Lane 14 times in 1956 Baker also accumulated 39 top-10 results in 48 starts that season He was the class of the field at ever y track where he raced and was clearly the fan favorite Baker claimed the championship by 586 points over former teammate Thomas, who did not compete in the final three races.

d w ay B u c k B a ke r

A p r il 17 M o nt g ome r y M o t o r Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

t g ome r y M o t o r Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

A p r il 24 L a ng h o r n e S p ee d w ay T im F l o c k

A p r il 24 L a ng h o r n e S p ee d w ay T im F l o c k

May 1 Ch a r lo t t e Sp ee d w ay B u ck B a ke r

May 1 Ch a r lo t t e Sp ee d w ay B u ck B a ke r

M ay 7 H i c ko r y S p ee d w ay J un i o r J o h ns o n

M ay 7 H i c ko r y S p ee d w ay J un i o r J o h ns o n

May 8 Fa ir g r o un ds Ra cew ay T im F lo ck

May 8 Fa ir g r o un ds Ra cew ay T im F lo ck

M ay 15 Tu c s o n Ro d e o G r o un ds D a n ny L e t n e r

M ay 15 Tu c s o n Ro d e o G r o un ds D a n ny L e t n e r

May 15 Ma r t ins v ille Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

May 15 Ma r t ins v ille Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

M ay 22 R i c h m o n d Ra ce w ay T im F l o c k

M ay 22 R i c h m o n d Ra ce w ay T im F l o c k

May 2 8 St at e Fa ir g r o un ds Sp ee d w ay J uni o r J o hns o n

May 2 8 St at e Fa ir g r o un ds Sp ee d w ay J uni o r J o hns o n

M ay 2 9 Fo r s y t h C o un t y Fa ir g r o un ds L e e P e t t y

M ay 2 9 Fo r s y t h C o un t y Fa ir g r o un ds L e e P e t t y

J un e 10 L in coln Sp ee d w ay J uni o r J o hns o n

J un e 10 L in coln Sp ee d w ay J uni o r J o hns o n

J un e 17 M o n r o e C o un t y Fa ir g r o un ds T im F l o c k

J un e 17 M o n r o e C o un t y Fa ir g r o un ds T im F l o c k

J un e 18 Fo n da Sp ee d w ay J uni o r J o hns o n

J un e 18 Fo n da Sp ee d w ay J uni o r J o hns o n

J un e 19 A ir b o r n e S p ee d w ay L e e P e t t y

J un e 19 A ir b o r n e S p ee d w ay L e e P e t t y

J un e 24 S o u t he r n St at e s Fa ir g r o un ds T im F lo ck

J un e 24 S o u t he r n St at e s Fa ir g r o un ds T im F lo ck

J ul y 6 P i e dmo n t In t e r s t a t e Fa ir g r o un ds T im F l o c k

J ul y 6 P i e dmo n t In t r s t a t e Fa ir g r o un ds T im F l o c k

J ul y 9 C olumb ia Sp ee d w ay J im P a s ch a l

J ul y 9 C olumb ia Sp ee d w ay J im P a s ch a l

J ul y 10 A sh e v ill e -We ave r v ill e S p ee d w ay T im F l o c k

J ul y 10 A sh e v ill e -We ave r v ill e S p ee d w ay T im F l o c k

J ul y 15 M o rr is t ow n Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

J ul y 15 M o rr is t ow n Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

J ul y 2 9

J ul y 2 9 A l t a m o n t-S c h e n e c t a d y S p ee d w ay J un i o r J o h ns o n

A l t a m o n t-S c h e n e c t a d y S p ee d w ay J un i o r J o h ns o n

J ul y 3 0 N ew Yo r k St at e Fa ir g r o un ds T im F lo ck

J ul y 3 0 N ew Yo r k St at e Fa ir g r o un ds T im F lo ck

J ul y 31

J ul y 31 M e a d ow s Ra ce Tr a c k T im F l o c k

M e a d ow s Ra ce Tr a c k T im F l o c k

Aug . 5 S o u t he r n St at e s Fa ir g r o un ds J im P a s ch a l

Aug . 5 S o u t he r n St at e s Fa ir g r o un ds J im P a s ch a l

Aug . 7 Fo r s y t h C o un t y Fa ir g r o un ds L e e P e t t y

Aug . 7 Fo r s y t h C o un t y Fa ir g r o un ds L e e P e t t y

Aug 14 M e mp his-A r k a ns a s Sp ee d w ay Fo nt y F lo ck

Aug 14 M e mp his-A r k a ns a s Sp ee d w ay Fo nt y F lo ck

Aug 20 Ra l e ig h S p ee d w ay H e r b T h o m a s

Aug 20 Ra l e ig h S p ee d w ay H e r b T h o m a s

S e p t . 9

S e p t . 9 D a r ling t o n Ra cew ay H e r b T ho m a s

S e p t 11

D a r ling t o n Ra cew ay H e r b T ho m a s

M o n t g o m e r y S p ee d w ay T im F l o c k

S e p t 11 M o n t g o m e r y S p ee d w ay T im F l o c k

S e p t 18 L a ng ho r n e Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

S e p t 18 L a ng ho r n e Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

S e p t 3 0 Ra l e ig h S p ee d w ay Fo n t y F l o c k

S e p t 3 0 Ra l e ig h S p ee d w ay o n t y F l o c k

O c t . 6 G r e e nv ille - P i

O c

t . 9

O c t . 6 G r e e nv ille - P i cke ns Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

O c t . 9 M e m p h is-Ar k a ns a s S p ee d w ay S p ee d y T h o m p s o n

O c t 15 C olumb ia Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

O c t 16 M a r t ins v ill e S p ee d w ay S p ee d y T h o m p s o n

O c t . 16 L a s Ve g a s Sp ee d w ay P a r k N o r m N els o n

O c t 23 N o r t h W ilke sb o r o S p ee d w ay B u c k B a ke r

O c t . 3 0 O r a ng e Sp ee d w ay T im F lo ck

after eight seasons of entering the prestigious event at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway Turner passed Mar vin Panch on lap 202 of the 1 375mile oval and never looked back Turner led four times for a total of 255 of 364 laps Seventy cars started the race with Turner lining up in the 11th position. Buck Baker earned the pole with a speed of 119.659 mph.

after eight seasons of entering the prestigious event at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway Turner passed Mar vin Panch on lap 202 of the 1 375mile oval and never looked back Turner led four times for a total of 255 of 364 laps Seventy cars started the race with Turner lining up in the 11th position. Buck Baker earned the pole with a speed of 119.659 mph.