Victory Weekend, a longtime non-profit partner of StarCom Racing’s Driver Quin Houff, teams up with StarCom Racing for the upcoming Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, February 23. Victory Weekend, a division of the Steve Wingfield Evangelistic Association, will continue its support of Houff and the 00 at the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, March 1. Both races will be aired on FOX.

Located in Virginia, near Houff’s hometown, Victory Weekend’s mission is to reach its community and beyond with a practical, Christ-centered message of purpose through motor sports related outreach and entertainment. Victory Weekend’s team is committed to showing love and appreciation to America’s heroes—our veterans, military personnel, and first responders.

“I am thankful for my team and partners for allowing me to promote Victory Weekend in these two races,” said Quin Houff, SCR No. 00 driver. “I have worked with Victory Weekend for most of my career, from my grass root late model level, to the top echelon of stock car racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. Victory Weekend provides me a great platform to reach fans and let them know who I really am and what I stand for. It is so fun to go out with them and meet with fans at any given racetrack, right in the campgrounds!”

Victory Weekend is not formally affiliated with any church denomination, but rather seeks to follow the calling to love God and people. It’s been Victory Weekend’s experience that successful outreach is centered in being relevant to real life and providing a place where people can be themselves while interacting with the media and message. Victory Weekend exists and is financed through tax-deductible contributions from like-hearted individuals, organizations and the communities they serve.

For more information on StarCom Racing or to gear up with Quin Houff merchandise, visit. www.starcomracing.com or follow the team on social media @starcomracing.

SCR PR

Fifteen-year-old Jesse Love emerged as a major contender in the ARCA Menards Series West season opener at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Thursday night, as he came away with a runner-up finish in his series debut.

He dashed from second on the grid in his No. 19 NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry to lead early in the Star Nursery 150, before settling into second.

Love is among a contingent of five talented young rookies competing this year for Bill McAnally Racing. Three of those drivers ran 2-3-4 for most of the race on Thursday, with Love followed by Gracie Trotter and Lawless Alan.

Trotter held down the third position in her No. 99 ENEOS Toyota Camry throughout the race until getting shuffled back after a restart with seven laps remaining. That shuffle also left Alan to finish sixth in the No. 12 AUTOParkit / NGK Toyota Camry.

Gio Scelzi, meanwhile, had to battle back after his No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS / Curb Records Toyota Camry got turned around after contact from Alan early in the race. He came away with a 10th-place finish. Teammate Holley Hollan came home 12th in the No. 50 JBL / NAPA Filters / NAPA Belts & Hoses Toyota Camry.

BMR PR

Brennan Poole and Premium Motorsports are excited to welcome new partner GOETTL into the NASCAR Cup Series on the No. 15 Chevy Camaro as their partner for 3 races, which include both Las Vegas Motor Speedway Cup Races and the Championship Cup Race weekend in Phoenix at PIR.

“All of us here at Premium Motorsports are honored to have such a successful, reputable and respected local company support our No.15 Team and Brennan this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway” expressed Owner Jay Robinson.

Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing, celebrating their 81st year in business, will adorn the No.15 Cup Car with a special primary paint scheme featuring their blue, white, and gray colors just as the 504 Goettl service trucks that are driving throughout the Southwest USA do. The Goettl name has been recognized for serving the southwest with excellence in heating and air conditioning installation and service for over eight decades. Goettl CEO Ken Goodrich is happy to continue the partnership and stated that “The hard working perfectionists at Goettl Air Conditioning & Plumbing are very proud to partner with Brennan Poole again this year because, like Team Goettl, Brennan and his Team do things the right way when it comes to their jobs, not the easy way.”

Returning to the same track that he ran the Goettl brand on last year in the NGOTS, Brennan Poole is focused on giving them a good run in one of their most important markets. Stating, “I’m so pumped to bring Goettl to the cup series this week after our P16 finish at Daytona. Our team was so excited and I can’t wait to build off of last week’s run! We finished 6th in our Goettl truck last year and will give it everything again this year.”

Tune in Live on FOX at 3:30 EST or 12:30 local time this Sunday to catch all the action for the NASCAR Cup Series Penzoil 400 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway as Poole and his #15 team try to keep the momentum rolling.

Premium Motorsports PR

Sam Mayer No. 21 Spencer Clark Foundation Chevrolet

START: 1st FINISH: 1st

Notes & Quotes:— - Sam Mayer was quickest in both of Thursday's practice sessions at the Bullring. - Mayer qualified on pole for the Star Nursery 150, breaking the track record for the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. - Mayer dropped to second in the opening laps, but regained the lead on Lap 14. Mayer would stay out front for most of the race, avoiding trouble under caution and staying consistent on restarts to maintain his position. Mayer battled on the final restart to keep his lead, ultimately claiming the victory.   - Mayer led all but 12 laps of the 150 lap event. - This is Mayer's second win in two ARCA Racing Series starts in 2020. - This is Mayer's first ARCA West victory at Bullring at Las Vegas. "I don't want to pinch myself because I hope I'm not dreaming.This is a heck of a way to start a year for sure. New era, new everything, obviously it's a new me too.Hopefully we can continue this grind of getting wins left and right and hopefully we can get in victory lane every week. I have to thank GMS for everything they've done for me and the Gallagher family for giving me this opportunity. We were able to come out here and honor Spencer Clark's legacy and we got to send the Clark family home with a trophy tonight."

GMS PR

It had been 17 years since Kyle Busch drove into Victory Lane at his hometown short track, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

On Thursday night, the man who’s accustomed to lifting hardware in the NASCAR Cup Series took home a trophy that was close to his heart.

Busch outlasted the field at the Star Nursery 100 Super Late Model Open Comp race, finishing 1.220 seconds ahead of Christian McGhee and 1.312 clear of regional star and multiple-time Bullring winner Derek Thorn.

“It’s been a long time since I won here – a really long time,” said Busch, who has won more than 50 races at the 3/8-mile paved oval. “The fans here have always supported me – in the beginning from The Bullring days when I was a kid.

“Thanks to all the supporters out here in Las Vegas – my mom and dad, and my wife and my son now … how times have changed. It’s so cool and special to come out here – I want to thank Craig Keough and Star Nursery for sponsoring this event, and the next one.”

Busch started slow, beginning in the seventh spot and staying outside the top five for the first few laps.

“We had a lot of cautions there early and were eating some laps in the yellow, and it was going to be a short race under the green flag,” Busch said.

The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion was patient and eventually moved his way up to the front. Busch briefly took the lead on lap 63, only to see Thorn retake him for the top spot.

But Busch didn’t wait long to fight back, executing a bump-and-run move to pass Thorn on lap 65. He wouldn’t look back from there.

“We had a good car and just kind of got stuck there for a little bit,” Busch said. “That’s The Bullring – that’s how I remember it the times I used to be here. You gotta move them, or you’ll get moved. It’s fun racing.

“Thorn is one of the best competitors out here on the west coast, there’s no question. So, it’s cool to beat those guys tonight.”

Thorn led many of the laps before Busch overtook him and was the primary competition for the NASCAR pro throughout the race. McGhee bumped Thorn on the final lap to finish second.

Sam Mayer is only 16, but he’s already driving at a much higher level. Mayer, fresh off a win at the season-opening ARCA East Series race at New Smyrna, Fla., nearly led wire-to-wire to take the checkered flag in the Star Nursery 150 ARCA Menards Series West race.

Mayer was making his first start in the ARCA West Series and at The Bullring. So, it was quite a debut for the driver of the No. 21 Spencer Clark “Driven” Foundation Chevrolet.

“That was an amazing race,” Mayer said. “I’m trying to live up to the Spencer Clark name, for sure.”

Mayer was running a paint scheme honoring the late Spencer Clark and his posthumous Spencer Clark “Driven” Foundation. Clark, a 33-time Bullring winner, was killed in a highway accident on May 21, 2006.

“This is definitely one to remember, and hopefully I can continue doing this,” Mayer said of the win. “We want to win as many as we can – the main goal is a championship overall, but the wins will come with that.”

Mayer led almost every lap, with second-place Jesse Love, 15, overtaking him only briefly. By the time the dust settled, Mayer crossed the finish line 1.762 seconds ahead of Love and nearly three seconds clear of Blaine Perkins.

Both divisions’ track records were broken during qualifying. McGhee clocked a 14.235-second lap at 94.837 miles per hour, which easily topped Linny White’s 14.345 mark from 2019, while Sam Mayer’s lap of 14.611 seconds at 92.396 mph broke Greg Pursley’s mark for the ARCA Menards division of 14.976 from 2011.

The Bullring action was the first of four consecutive days of racing at LVMS, with the Strat 200 Gander RV & Outdoors NASCAR Truck Series race following on Friday night and the Boyd Gaming 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series event on Saturday. The Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube will put an exclamation point on the weekend on Sunday.

Complete results

Star Nursery 150 ARCA Menards Series West race
1. Sam Mayer; 2. Jesse Love (-1.762 seconds); 3. Blaine Perkins (-2.836); 4. Gracie Trotter (-4.281); 5. Trevor Huddleston (-4.299); 6. Lawless Allen (-4.581); 7. Jack Wood (-5.624); 8. Todd Souza (-6.441); 9. Austin Reed (-1 lap); 10. Gio Scelzi (-2 laps); 11. Takuma Koga (-3 laps); 12. Holley Hollan (-3 laps); 13. Bobby Hills Jr. (-13 laps); 14. Joey Iest (-45 laps); 15. Chris Lowden (-52 laps); 16. Zach Telford (-71 laps); 17. Bridgett Burgess (-110).

Star Nursery 100 Super Late Model Open Comp
1. Kyle Busch; 2. Christian McGhee (-1.220 seconds); 3. Derek Thorn (-1.312); 4. Tyler Fabozzi (-2.428); 5. Sammy Smith (-2.738); 6. Trevor Christiani (-3.325); 7. Tanner Reif (-3.960); 8. Jonathan Mawhinney (-4.861); 9. Austin Thom (-5.233); 10. Dylan Lupton (-5.577); 11. Jimmy Parker Jr. (-6.727); 12. Jim Wulfenstein (-6.978); 13. Joe Farre (-7.227); 14. Andy Allen (-8.445); 15. Dean Thompson (-8.753); 16. Brittney Zamora (-12.602); 17. Scott Gafforini (-15.143); 18. Stan Mulls (-2 laps); 19. Steve Anderson (-3 laps); 20. Chris Clyne (-34 laps); 21. Kyle Neveau (-46 laps); 22. Aaron McMorran (-49 laps); 23. Brandon Farrington (-77 laps); 24. Warren Knipper (DNF).

LVMS PR

Two open wheel specialists, Mike Bednar of Slatington, PA and Eddie Strada of Lake Ariel, PA were the fastest drivers Thursday night in an optional practice session for the 600 Micro Sprints which will compete in the third annual East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals tomorrow and Saturday in Trenton, NJ

 The practice session for the drivers and teams entered in the third annual East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals this weekend inside Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ saw 62 of the 92 registered drivers and teams take to the clay.

 Bednar, a regular in the SpeedSTRs at Kutztown, PA, and an Indoor Auto Racing Concrete Series veteran, was fastest in the first hot laps session, posting a 9.460 time. Doug Snyder of Hellertown, PA and Austin Quick of Etters, PA, were close behind Bednar for fast time in session one.

 The second session was paced by Strada, who clocked in at 9.468 seconds. Carl Locuson of Pines Grove, NJ, one of three brothers entered in the Dirt Track Nationals was second quickest and Alex Bright of Collegeville, PA, driving one of three Micro Sprints owned by Bob Hummer, was third fastest.

 The changing nature of track conditions between the two sessions was illustrated by the fact that only Strada was able to post top ten times each of the sessions.

 “Practice nights are a test for everyone, drivers, race teams, our track staff and our officials,” noted East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals promoter Len Sammons.

 Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY and the defending race winner of the ‘Nationals’, ran 22^nd and 37^th quickest in the pair of sessions.

 Rudolph’s Tom Fraschetta teammate, Brian Montieth, of Phoenixville, PA, Lincoln Speedway 410 Sprint champion, will be trying to qualify Friday, will then race in Lincoln Speedway’s 410 Sprint opener Saturday afternoon, and then head for Trenton Saturday night as soon as the Lincoln race ends.

 Whitey Kidd III, Staten Island, NY, 2017 race winner, did not practice, nor did Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY, three time DIRTcar Volusia Speedway Park Modified Gator Nationals feature winner.

 Kidd will suit up in the same car he drove to victory in the 2017 running of the Nationals and Wight will drive Ken Vincent’s Delaware-based Micro Sprint.  Vincent contacted Wight after his regular driver Luke Thomas was unable to race due to back injuries suffered late in the 2019 outdoor season. Wight was a competitor in the mid-January Chili Bowl in Tulsa, OK.

 Friday’s Micro Sprint schedule, which will have spectator doors opening at 6:00 pm, will start at 7:00 pm and feature ten heat of 10 laps. Passing points will be awarded with the top 60 moving to a four-race series of A-Main qualifiers of 15 laps in length. The top three from each of the four A-Main qualifiers advance to the A-Main Saturday.

 Those who were outside the top 60 will transfer into a series of ‘alphabet mains’ that will begin the Saturday, February 22 racing program at 6:00 pm. The top four finishers from each ‘alphabet main’ advance forward to join at the back of the next field.  (F-main top four at the back of the E-main field, etc.).

 Ultimately, the top 24 cars and drivers will take the green flag in the third annual East Coast Dirt National A-Main which will be run over a 50-lap distance and paying the winner $5,000.

 The A-Main will also convey the Bob Hilbert Hard Charger Award to the driver who advances the most spots at the finish from their starting spot.

 Precision Engine Oil is the designated sponsor of the B, C, and D alphabet main events.

 Other event sponsors include Freiberger Excavating, Hoosier Tires, VP Race Fuels, Hyper Racing and Racing Electronics.

 For race day information, including time schedule of events and ticket purchases, contact indoorautoracing.com.

AARN PR

Three different winners in its first four races sets the stage for the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series championship next week.

Chris Madden carried the momentum from his incredible 2019 run into the winter, winning the first two races to lead the championship standings into Modoc Raceway on Saturday, Feb. 29. With a 16-point lead, Madden will not only be chasing the $7,000-to-win checkered flag, but he’ll also be trying to hold off Ross Bailes, Zack Mitchell, Kyle Strickler and Trent Ivey to capture the $20,000 series championship check.

Madden, of Gray Court, SC, won at Cherokee Speedway and Volunteer Speedway, and has experience at Modoc, where he’s won three times on the 4/10th-mile dirt oval since 2005.

However, since winning the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series opener in January at Vado (NM) Speedway Park, Madden hasn’t returned to Victory Lane. He’s confident he and his team can get the job done in front of his home-state fans next Saturday.

“We definitely started off hot,” said Madden, who drives a Drydene-sponsored car for Scott Bloomquist Racing. “We haven’t won one in the last couple of weeks, so we definitely need to pick up a win. It’s been a great series for us, and it would be nice to pick up $20,000.”

“I think it’s pretty awesome for [Drydene] to support dirt racing,” Madden said. “To have more corporate industries come in and support our series is definitely big. Our sport is on the upside and definitely growing, and we appreciate those guys for everything they’ve done.”

In retrospect, the 2019 season was quickly turned into a 2019-2020 campaign for each driver who decided to compete with the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series, especially those who also made the trip south for Georgia-Florida Speedweeks. Madden and Strickler, who is fourth place in points, both chose that route, forcing them to ramp-up their work to prepare for the coming races.

“For us guys that run as many races as we do during the season, it makes it difficult for us to get prepared for DIRTcar Nationals and what not, stopping and building new cars, because we had to continue racing,” Madden said. “So, it’s been tough on us, but on the good side of it is we [could win] the series … so we’ll just keep on digging.”

Strickler, Lavonia Speedway winner Mitchell, Ivey, Pearson Lee Williams and Tim Vance will have the chance to join Madden in the perfect attendance club at Modoc, worth a $1,000 bonus.

While Madden is the heavy favorite to be crowned champion, he hasn’t locked it up for sure yet. Positions two-through-five have also yet to be decided, as only five points separate those drivers. With his one victory, Bailes has 37 points while Mitchell trails with 35, Strickler has 34 and Ivey has 32. Each are still within reach of the championship with the maximum number of points available to them should they qualify for Modoc’s $7,000-to-win Feature.

Pits and Grandstands are scheduled to open at 1 p.m., Hot Laps at 4 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m.

Tickets to see the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series championship finale at Modoc Raceway on Feb. 29 can be purchased at the gate on race day.

Reserved seats are $35 for adults, $20 for youths (7-12), and kids 6-and-under are free. In General Admission, it’s $20 for adults, $10 for youths (7-12); kids 6-and-under are free. Trackside tickets are $35 for adults, $20 for youths (7-12); kids 6-and-under are free.

Can’t get to the track to watch the action in person? Catch every lap of the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series finale live on DIRTVision with a Fast Pass subscription, just $39 a month!

DIRTcar Racing PR

Martin Kove, best known for his portrayal as the “misunderstood” karate sensei, John Kreese, in “The Karate Kid” trilogy, will serve as the Grand Marshal at the Production Alliance Group 300 NASCAR Xfinity race on Feb. 29.

Kove will give the command “Gentlemen start your engines” prior to the 1 p.m. (PT) race airing on FS1.  The official race hashtag will be #PAG300.

Kove has participated in some 100 films in his career, sharing the screen with such contemporaries as Kevin Costner, Burt Reynolds, Sylvester Stallone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Luke Wilson, and Kenny Rogers – to name a few.

In 2018, Kove reprised his role of John Kreese in the YouTube series “Cobra Kai.” In 2019, Kove appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” “VFW” – in which he portrays a war veteran alongside such notables as Stephen Lang, Fred Williamson, and William Sadler – is currently in theaters and available on-demand. And season 3 of “Cobra Kai” is set for release later this year.

Production Alliance Group is a world-wide premium live-event and creative development company based in Tustin, CA. Their passion for their craft has allowed them to work with top names and brands in both corporate and entertainment industries.

To see Kove give the starting command, fans can purchase online at www.autoclubspeedway.com, call 800-944-7223 or visit the Auto Club Speedway Ticket Office at 9300 Cherry Avenue, Fontana.

ACS PR

Award-nominated Actor, Director and Producer Justin Hartley, well known for his starring role on the NBC smash hit drama series “This Is Us,” will drive the pace car for the Pennzoil 400 Presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Feb. 23.

Hartley, an avid racing fan, has waved the green flag at high-profile races in the past, and will add another experience to his list when he hits the track in Vegas.

“As a fan of NASCAR, and racing in general, I’m very excited to be driving the pace car for the Pennzoil 400,” Hartley said. “Being out on a super speedway, surrounded by the best drivers in the world, is an experience you never forget.”

Hartley’s work as Kevin Pearson on “This Is Us” has earned him successive Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series two years in a row, and he and his cast members won the SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series two years in a row at the 2018 and 2019 ceremonies. 

“This Is Us” has collectively earned 159 award nominations, 45 wins, and counting since its breakout debut in 2016. Hartley can also soon be seen starring in the most talked about movie of the year, “The Hunt,” directed by Craig Zobel and produced by Jason Blum and Damon Lindelof.

LVMS’s spring 2020 NASCAR Weekend begins with the Strat 200 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race on Friday, Feb. 21, continues with the Strat qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Boyd Gaming 300 on Saturday, Feb. 22, and finishes with the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, Feb. 23.

LVMS PR