Speedway Digest Staff - Results from #90

Max Price, the 2021 Hickory Motor Speedway Limited Late Model Champion, has signed with E33 Motorsports to compete full-time in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series for the 2023 season. Price will pilot the No. 1 Chevrolet with the familiar colors of Blue Moose Technology Group, Circle Track Warehouse and Schaffer's Oil on board as sponsors. 

Max Price commented, "I'm ready for the challenge of racing with a championship caliber team in the 2023 Carolina Pro Late Model Series season. I'm excited to race for such a good group of guys, who already feel like family to me."

Price, the Holt, Michigan native, has accumulated a pretty impressive resume over the past couple years. In addition claiming the Hickory Motor Speedway Limited Late Model Championship in 2021, the 20-year-old was crowned the Hickory Big 10 Champion, and the 2020 Hickory Speedway Rookie of the Year. 
 
"We are so excited to have Max join the E33 Motorsports family for the 2023 Season," said Team Owner JR Courage. "Max had a great run in the limited late models at Hickory Motor Speedway over the past few years, and it didn't go unnoticed. We look forward to having him carry on his winning ways as we chase another championship in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series for a second year in a row."

The Carolina Pro Late Model Series season opener kicks off March 4, 2023 at Hickory Motor Speedway. For more information on E33 Motorsports, follow along on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. 

E33 Motorsports PR

Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) has announced that Denny Hamlin will race in the first race of the 2023 SRX Season. Hamlin, a 3-time Daytona 500 Champion and current driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owner of 23XI Racing, will make his SRX debut, joining the field on July 13th at Stafford Motor Speedway, in Stafford Springs (CT).

“I am absolutely fired up to join the SRX season opener at Stafford Motor Speedway,” said Hamlin. “That track has so much history, to finally get to race there will be a bucket list item for me. It’s been fun watching SRX grow over the past two years, and it’s an honor they asked me to join them.”

Don Hawk, Chief Executive Officer of SRX said: “When I reached out to Denny, and he responded in such a positive manner, it helped me validate why ESPN and the return of Thursday Night Thunder was such a great move for SRX. The model allows us to secure his caliber of talent – and he can flat out drive. We’re thrilled to have him and love his enthusiasm to be a part of the field.”

SRX will air on six consecutive Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App, bringing back the iconic “ESPN Thursday Night Thunder” branding.

The 2023 SRX Schedule (all times Eastern)

SRX PR

Interstate Batteries, one of the most tenured team sponsors in NASCAR history, begins its 32nd season as the founding sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) with an expanded presence that will feature the brand’s iconic green livery across all four of JGR’s NASCAR Cup Series entries.

The introduction of Team Interstate more than doubles the Dallas-based company’s visibility with JGR, as Interstate Batteries will have 13 primary sponsorships in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023, up from the six primaries it has typically had each year since 2008.

Christopher Bell, driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR, kicks off the Team Interstate effort in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum Feb. 5 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It marks the first time in Bell’s seven-year history with JGR, which dates back to his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2017, that Bell will carry the green-and-white colors of Interstate Batteries, joining such marquee names as Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte and Kyle Busch.

Then, for the first time since 2007, Interstate Batteries returns as a co-primary sponsor in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 19 when it adorns the sides of Ty Gibbs’ No. 54 Toyota Camry in the Great American Race. The Daytona 500 will always hold a special place in the respective histories of Interstate Batteries and JGR, as they won their first race together 30 years ago in the 1993 Daytona 500 with Jarrett.

Bell and Ty Gibbs will run the majority of Interstate Batteries’ races, but veteran racers Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr., will each carry a primary Interstate Batteries sponsorship. Hamlin, a winner of 48 NASCAR Cup Series races, will drive the No. 11 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry March 26 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Truex, the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will pilot the No. 19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry July 23 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

“One of the great strengths of our partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing over the last 31 years is the way the sponsorship with them has evolved and changed as our needs as a company and brand have evolved. The expansion of Team Interstate on all four JGR cars during 2023 is the next step in the evolution of our sponsorship,” said Norm Miller, Chairman, Interstate Batteries.

“Working together, we always find new ways to use the JGR and NASCAR assets to set up new accounts and sell more batteries. We believe in our partnership and the sport of NASCAR, so when we saw the opportunity to double the amount of races as a primary sponsor – and be a part of such crown-jewel races as the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 again – we knew it made a lot of sense. Since we’ve been with Joe Gibbs and JGR from the beginning, we really feel like all four teams are part of our family, so it’s very exciting for the stars to align and be a primary sponsor with all the JGR teams for the first time ever.”

After racing at the L.A. Coliseum, Bell returns to Interstate Batteries colors for the NASCAR All-Star Race May 21 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The four-time Cup Series race winner keeps his Interstate Batteries livery for a second straight week when he competes in the Coca-Cola 600 May 28 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Bell’s final two Interstate Batteries races are Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and Oct. 29 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Ty Gibbs continues his slate of Interstate Batteries races with the Food City Dirt Race April 9 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, June 25 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, July 2 in the inaugural Chicago Street Race, Sept. 24 at Texas and Oct. 8 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

“Our motto at Interstate Batteries is ‘Outrageously Dependable,’ and this expanded partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing drives home that point. We’re incredibly proud of our association with JGR. It’s a program that for more than three decades has resonated with our dealers, distributors and customers,” said Lain Hancock, Chief Operating Officer, Interstate Batteries.

“It’s a winning combination galvanized by the personalities we’ve been associated with at JGR, and it begins with Joe Gibbs. His vision and his ability to put the right people in the right places have made his team and our program a massive success. Expanding our presence with JGR allows us to reap the benefits of the organization’s entire effort, and we’re blessed to have such a talented group of racers represent Interstate Batteries.”

Interstate Batteries helped launch JGR in 1992. In the 31 years that have followed, JGR has scored 200 Cup Series victories – a number that includes four Daytona 500s – and five Cup Series championships. All of JGR’s firsts – win (Jarrett, 1992 Daytona 500, pole (Bobby Labonte, April 21, 1995 at Martinsville) and championship (Labonte, 2000 Cup Series title) have come with Interstate Batteries as the primary sponsor. When all of JGR’s successes are added up across each of the NASCAR series in which it competes, its race victories total more than doubles to 413 (200 in the Cup Series, 193 in the Xfinity Series and 20 in the ARCA Menards Series) with 12 total championships (five in Cup, six in Xfinity and one in ARCA).

“We’re extremely proud of our partnership with our founding sponsor, Interstate Batteries,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “They have been such an important part of our team for over three decades now, and it’s exciting to have them on board all four of our cars this season. The best part of our partnership is the relationships we’ve built with everyone there over the years. It all started, of course, with Norm and Tommy Miller, and now includes Lain (Hancock) and his entire team. It’s going to be a great season.”

Gibbs, along with three of the drivers who have raced for JGR since its inception in 1992, have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Jarrett was ushered into the Hall in 2014 while Gibbs, Labonte and Tony Stewart were enshrined together as part of the Class of 2020.

TSC PR

The F1 Championship offers plenty of great locations around the globe to catch the F1 action and we’ll look at the Top 8 Grand Prix Circuits that you must visit in your lifetime. Having been around since 1950, there’s a long history surrounding these tracks as some have been on the circuit since the beginning. Betting on F1 has also become more and more popular around the world, especially in Australia, according to BettingTop10.com.au, “Australia is one of the best places to bet in the world, and thanks to the development of the industry there are many different types of wagering available for sports betting.”

Albert Park - Australian Grand Prix

The Australian leg of the Grand Prix is a challenging stretch for drivers mainly due its design. They’re always improving the track as well, such as widening the pit lane during the Covid-19 pandemic. Away from the circuit, there’s plenty of things to see and do in the beautiful city of Melbourne. It’s also possible to bet on the Australian Grand Prix and using a site like GetSetBet , they will have you covered with great odds for the big race.

Monaco Street Circuit - Monaco Grand Prix

The Monaco Grand Prix arguably offers the best spectacle for racing fans as there isn’t a bad seat in the house. It offers a wide variety of challenges as a smaller course, such as plenty of tight corners.

Marina Bay - Singapore Grand Prix

Singapore offers one of the most picturesque locations on the circuit as the Marina Bay lights provide a wonderful backdrop to F1 cars at night. It was the original night race on the circuit and it’s easy to see why.

Autodromo Nazionale Monza - Italian Grand Prix

This is one of the oldest circuits on the tour that dates back to the early 1920s and hosts the Italian Grand Prix every year. While away from the circuit, Milan offers a diverse range of attractions for any sightseer.

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez - Mexican Grand Prix

The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez has been around the F1 since the 1950s and has undergone many layout changes over the time. One of the great parts is of the course the rowdy Mexican crowd that provides an excellent atmosphere to the race.

Silverstone - British Grand Prix

Silverstone has a long history in F1, featured by hosting the initial F1 Championship race in 1950. UK racing fans get around the British Grand Prix despite the sometimes unpredictable weather conditions.

Red Bull Ring - Austrian Grand Prix

The Red Bull Ring has a lot of history in F1, highlighted by falling off the circuit in 2004. However, they were back in 2014 and became the opening circuit in 2020 due to Covid-19. It’s one of the shorter tracks on the circuit with just nine corners.

Miami International Autodrome, Miami Grand Prix

Miami is a new addition to the F1 Circuit. It’s situated around the Miami Dolphins stadium and  it’s uniquely designed purely for F1. You’ll also enjoy the Miami nightlife, beaches and weather.

Three races into Drake Troutman’s DIRTcar UMP Modified tenure with Jerry Foster Racing, and it’s already paying dividends.

Troutman, the 17-year-old racer from Hyndman, PA, claimed victory on the opening night of UMP Modified Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park with a clean sweep of the evening – turning the fastest lap of 59 cars in Qualifying, winning his Heat Race and the 25-lap Feature.

“I couldn’t be more happy with the way things are going,” Troutman said. “What a way to start off with a bang. Confidence is up, and we’ve just got to keep on working and make sure that things stay perfect.”

After several seasons behind the wheel of his family-owned UMP Modified operation, Troutman partnered with Maryland racer and car owner Jerry Foster for the 2023 season and set out on their first racing venture on the Florida Speedweeks trail. Back-to-back top-five finishes in their first two races at North Florida Speedway last Saturday-Sunday were great confidence boosters right out of the gate and have placed them atop the Speedweeks points standings with the win Tuesday night.

A win in Heat Race #2 gave Troutman the pole for the Feature after the redraw, which he wasted little time in using to his advantage. Outside polesitter Tyler Nicely grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and led the first seven circuits around the 1/3-mile oval before Troutman cashed-in on his opportunity.

With momentum from a great run out of Turn 2, Troutman shot down the backstretch and into Turn 3 with a head of steam and swung it down low, putting a big slide job on Nicely through Turn 4 to take the lead.

“With these guys, you never know – it could be your last shot to try something,” Troutman said. “I just figured I could go for it there; I knew I could clear [Nicely]. He and I race together a lot. These guys are all class acts.”

Now in command of the field, and the pace, Troutman cranked up that pace immensely, riding the high side and stretching out to a comfortable lead in traffic. The lapped cars gave him no issues either, clearing each that stood in his way with ease. By the checkered, Troutman had led 18 laps and amassed a gap of over three seconds to second-place Buzzy Adams, claiming his third career East Bay Winternationals victory.

Adams, who started fourth, was able to get around Nicely on Lap 14 for second before setting out on a chase through traffic to catch Troutman. Try as he may, however, Adams was unable to make up the gap, despite his speed on the high side.

“I thought we were getting good at the end, but Drake was so far gone that there was no catching him,” Adams said. “We had a rough start to this Speedweeks journey, and we’re just happy to get a good finish after working our butts off for the last couple days.”

Adams and his crew from Cameron, WI, worked feverishly since the weekend to prepare their car for Tuesday after suffering engine issues in the Feature at North Florida on Saturday. They dropped in a new power plant and were solid right from the jump, but came up a bit short in the end. Still, Adams was pleased with the runner-up spot.

“Honestly, a restart maybe would have made it fun,” Adams said. “But [Troutman] was really good. He took off good and he ended good. He was just better than us tonight, so we’ll go back to work and try and get another good finish.”

Allen Weisser drove from sixth to complete the podium with a last-lap pass on Ray Bollinger, who came home fourth. Ohioan Brian Skaggs advanced from his P8 starting spot to complete the top-five.

UP NEXT

The UMP Modified Winternationals action continues at East Bay Raceway Park on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Tickets are available at the gate. If you can’t be at the track, Follow DIRTcar Racing on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for live updates throughout the program.

RESULTS

A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 5-Drake Troutman[1]; 2. 40-Kevin Adams[4]; 3. 25W-Allen Weisser[6]; 4. 77-Ray Bollinger[3]; 5. 20-Brian Skaggs[8]; 6. 25N-Tyler Nicely[2]; 7. 12-Lucas Lee[11]; 8. 69B-Bryan Bernhardt[17]; 9. 24-Zeke McKenzie[12]; 10. 2-Devin Dixon[5]; 11. 21-Devin McLeod[15]; 12. 25A-Jason Altiers[10]; 13. 33W-Rodney Wing[14]; 14. 99-Blake Brown[20]; 15. 8L-Jimmy Lennex[21]; 16. 44-Jeff Parsons[19]; 17. 90-Tim Gay[16]; 18. 21S-Denny Schwartz[23]; 19. 205-Travis Varnadore[9]; 20. 18C-Miles Cook II[24]; 21. 2A-Matt Altiers[22]; 22. 25-LJ Grimm[13]; 23. 1S-Brian Shaw[18]; 24. 17-Chris Wilson[7]

DIRTcar Series PR

The new Southwest Region of Western Midget Racing fires off for its inaugural championship chase on Saturday night from the Adobe Mountain Speedway in Glendale, Ariz. The one-fifth mile dirt track hosts its first of seven appearances for WMR in 2023, part of a 13-race slate for the drivers in the Southwest championship.

NOW600 Winged Outlaw Micro Sprints, Restricted, and Jr. Sprints will also be competing. Pit passes are $40 for adults and any participant, $15 for ages 5-12, and free for ages four and under. Grandstand tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids and ages four and under are free. Pit gates open at noon with a 4pm Drivers Meeting. Hot laps are at 4:30pm followed by heat races and main events. All the action can be seen live on Dirt2Media.TV as well.

Peoria, Ariz.’s Cory Brown claimed the 2022 Adobe Mountain track championship and looks to continue his winning ways in the SW Region action. The driver of the No. 29 Ripper Chassis will have numerous contenders to fend off. Surprise, Ariz.’s Drake Edwards ended the season on a high note by claiming the $1800 prize at the Tribute to Billy Shuman. He was chased across the line by the fearless rookie Chloe High of Buckeye, Ariz. The 18-year-old High will debut a new Boss Chassis No. 3AZ entry in Saturday’s season opener. Fellow 18-year-old Dale Eliason, Jr. of Peoria will also be competing in the No. 43 Boss Chassis.

Nathan High ended the year with two wins and two fourth place finishes over the final four Adobe Mountain races. He will join a fleet of Copper State drivers gearing up for the 2023 season such as Tempe’s Chase Ferris, Phoenix’s J.R. Wood, Surprise’s Kyle Huttenhow, and many more.

The Nevada contingent has grown as well with Las Vegas’s Kyle Hawse being joined by 22-year-old Racin Silva of Henderson, Nev. this season.

In addition to seven rounds at Adobe Mountain Speedway, the Western Midget Racing Southwest Region competes twice at Mohave Valley Raceway in Arizona as well this season. Four combined California and Southwest region races will commence at Ventura Raceway in what should be a highlight of the season.

For more information on Western Midget Racing, visit them at www.WesternMidgetRacing.com or follow them on Facebook!

2023 WMR Schedule – Subject to Change

(National races pay both SW & CA points)

2.4 Adobe Mountain Speedway (SW)

3.4 Adobe Mountain Speedway (SW)

3.18 Mohave Valley Raceway (SW)

3.31 Ocean Speedway (CA)

4.1 Marysville Raceway (CA)

4.8 Adobe Mountain Speedway (SW)
4.29 Ventura Raceway (National)

5.6 Adobe Mountain Speedway (SW)

5.12 Ocean Speedway (CA)

5.13 Petaluma Speedway (CA)

6.9 Ocean Speedway (CA)

6.10 Petaluma Speedway (CA)
6.17 Ventura Raceway *Wagsdash* (National)

7.14 & 15 Ocean Speedway *Howard Kaeding Classic* (CA)

7.28 Ocean Speedway (CA)

7.29 Antioch Speedway (CA)

8.11 Ocean Speedway (CA)

8.12 Marysville Raceway (CA)
8.26 Ventura Raceway (National)

9.16 Adobe Mountain Speedway (SW)

9.30 Mohave Valley Raceway (SW)

10.21 Ventura Raceway (National)

11.10 & 11 Adobe Mountain Speedway *Tribute to Billy Shuman* (SW)

WMR PR

Trackhouse Racing PR

Trackhouse Racing PR

Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) has announced the first four full-time drivers who will compete for the 2023 SRX Championship. Brad Keselowski, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and current driver and co-owner of RFK Racing, will make his SRX debut, running all six races this summer. He is joined by Hailie Deegan, who is racing a full SRX schedule after running five total races throughout the first two seasons, with a career best 2^nd place finish at Knoxville Raceway in 2021. Ryan Newman will return to SRX full-time, looking to build off a strong 2022 season that saw him finish 2^nd place in the Championship to Marco Andretti. NASCAR Hall of Famer, Bobby Labonte, who finished 3^rd in the SRX championship in both 2021 and 2022, will return to the series for a third season.

Deegan, Keselowski, Labonte and Newman join previously announced Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Helio Castroneves and Clint Bowyer – who will all run select races throughout the 2023 season. SRX will air on six consecutive Thursday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App, bringing back the iconic “ESPN Thursday Night Thunder” branding.

Brad Keselowski Quotes:

“I’ve been watching the SRX series on TV over the years, and given our limited practice and qualifying time in motorsports now, this provides another outlet to gain track time and better my craft,” said Keselowski. “The addition of ESPN and return of Thursday Night Thunder is a huge plus as the series continues to deliver its exciting product to fans at home. This is an incredible opportunity for me to compete and I’m excited for it to kick off this summer.”

“When we did the deal with ESPN for Thursday Night Thunder, I envisioned someone from Indy Car or NASCAR possibly trying to run all 6 races for the Championship. Brad was up to the challenge. I’ve known Brad for a long time, he doesn’t plan to fail - he methodically develops a strategy and then commits to it,” said SRX CEO, Don Hawk. “Brad is not only running full-time in SRX, but he’s also a Championship Driver and owner in NASCAR’s premier series. That is a huge get for the race fans and SRX.”

Hailie Deegan Quotes:

“I can’t wait to be running the full SRX series. Ever since I did my first SRX race I’ve been hoping that the schedule would work out to where I could race in it full time,” said Deegan. “Coming back to the SRX series is already exciting as it is, but being able to run the full series makes it that much better. Going into this year I was hoping I had no conflicts and could participate in the whole season.”

Don Hawk: “Hailie was on the list that Tony and I had worked on from day one. The Thursday Night Thunder platform gives a Superstar like her the ability to run all 6 SRX events, and the fans will love it. I’m a fan and think she’ll be very competitive week after week.”

Ryan Newman Quotes:

“I am honored to be competing in the SRX series again this year.  Last year was a great experience, and the trip for me and my girls to victory lane in Stafford (CT) will always be remembered. Being back on Thursday Night Thunder with Tony will be special as well,” said Ryan Newman.

“Newman wasn’t only the hardest to pass on the track but he was extremely consistent in finishing races and scoring points. I’m anxious to see his sophomore year,” said Don Hawk.

Bobby Labonte Quotes:

“It’s quite an honor to be invited back to the SRX Series for a third year. Everybody has done a great job making the series more popular every year.  We had a good run last year, won a race and contended for the championship. I am really excited to be competitive again this year, and compete for the 2023 series championship,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer, Bobby Labonte.

Don Hawk said: “Bobby is as smooth as silk, always competitive and a fan favorite. He was an easy choice because of his driving style, Championship bloodlines, and he knows how to care of his equipment. Welcome back Bobby.”

The 2023 SRX Schedule (all times Eastern)

SRX PR