Sunday, Apr 02
Speedway Digest Staff

Speedway Digest Staff

Follow us on Twitter @SpeedwayDigest

NASCAR’s top three series will split states this weekend, as the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series will share driving duties at Richmond Raceway. The Craftsman Truck Series will make a jaunt up I-35 from Austin to Fort Worth for Saturday’s race to Texas Motor Speedway.

 
Download PDF

Joey Logano: “Not much different than what we’ve had in the past. Tires are going to wear out there a lot. Smart racers will prevail. We’ll have some interesting setup decisions to make, to make sure we’re good in the long-haul, as well as the short run. We’ll try to adjust to that. I don’t think it’ll be different from the Richmonds we’ve seen – it may widen-out some -- but, like usual, the smart racers will be strong.”

Ryan Blaney: “Going there with the new package… hopefully it’s a step in the right direction for the traffic side of it. The tire fall-off there is already pretty large, and I think it’s going to be even bigger this year with the low spoiler. You’re going to have your hands a little more full, I feel like, than what it was in the past. That’s going to make it more difficult to kind of save your tires – it may make the race even better. It’ll be a challenge, that’s for sure, but hopefully we hit it right.”

Austin Cindric: “I certainly expect, talking about the package, it’ll probably be the most extreme example of how much downforce we took off the cars. I think as far as race tracks that are knife-edge and you pay a penalty for having weaknesses, Richmond there is certainly nowhere to hide.”

Brad Keselowski: “I’m excited about Richmond. It’ll be nice to have the cars really difficult to drive. You’re going to see the cars move around a lot. Last year, we saw the cars race all the way up against the wall, and all into the bottom of the track – it’s a really exciting race, to me personally, inside the car. I thought it was thrilling. I would expect it to another degree.”

 

RICHMOND ONE OF LOGANO’S BEST

It would be easy to look at Joey Logano’s two career wins at Richmond and say it’s got to be one of his best tracks on the circuit, but the statistics provide further proof. In 27 career starts, Logano has 12 top 5 and 16 top 10 finishes, which gives him an average finish of 10.3. That’s his second-best average finish on tracks where he’s run more than five races. The only track where Logano has a better average finish is Las Vegas, where his three wins and 12 top-10 finishes in 20 starts works out to a 9.9 average finish.

 

HARVICK A CAREER TOP-10 FINISHER AT RICHMOND

Another Ford driver who has experienced consistent success at Richmond is Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick. This weekend will mark his 44th career Cup Series start at the track in which his 9.7 average finish is fourth-best among tracks currently on the circuit in which he has more than five starts. The other three tracks that statistically are Harvick’s best include: Homestead (7.3), Phoenix (8.6), and Indianapolis (8.6).

 

KESELOWSKI SOLE RICHMOND WINNER IN 2020

Richmond Raceway hosted two NASCAR Cup Series events a year from 1959-2019, but in 2020 the track had only one event due to COVID and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag in dominating fashion. Keselowski led 192-of-400 laps in recording his second career Cup win at the Virginia short track, and automatically advanced to the Round of 12.  Overall, Ford led 297 laps on the night and had five drivers finish in the top 10, including Joey Logano (3rd), Kevin Harvick (7th), Aric Almirola (8th) and Clint Bowyer (10th).

 

RILEY RIVALING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP

The consistency of Riley Herbst has been in the spotlight since the latter part of the 2022 season. Herbst earned his sixth consecutive top-10 finish to start the 2023 campaign after a 10th-place run at Circuit of The Americas last weekend – his ninth since October 2022 (Homestead). The streak this season has helped Herbst climb to second in the driver rankings (234), trailing by only 15 points for the lead into Richmond.

RICHMOND RAPPORT

Mark Martin climbed 16 spots and led 16 laps to give Ford its first series victory at Richmond in 1987. Martin, who has five career series wins there, is one of three Ford drivers to win consecutive races at the track after sweeping both events in 1993. The others are Kenny Wallace (1994-1995) and Brad Keselowski (2013 Sweep).

 

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Zane Smith earned his second win of the season last weekend at Circuit of The Americas – his second-consecutive victory at the road course and a series-leading second of the season. The returning series champion currently leads this year’s points (168). Two Ford F-150s round-out the top-three spots, with Ty Majeski (166) and Ben Rhodes (150) closely behind.

BACK TO BACK

Ford made its early impressions in the Truck Series at Texas Motor Speedway, which made its debut on the NASCAR schedule in 1997. Kenny Irwin Jr. led 55 of the 167 laps in 1997, to score the win in the track’s inaugural season as Ford swept the top five spots. Tony Raines and Ford followed up the strong performance the following season, not only winning the race, but also placing three F-150 trucks in the top-five.

SHARING SUCCESS

Greg Biffle started the 2000 race on pole, leading 120 laps en route to a dominating victory. Mike Wallace, who finished runner-up, led 29 – giving Ford the top-spot for 149 of the 167 total laps of the race. 

Ford Performance PR

The 2023 Confluence Festival will once again feature chart-topping talent across multiple genres, including many regional favorites for the thousands of fans expected for the Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter race weekend, June 2-4.

Already announced 14-time Grammy-nominated Dierks Bentley will headline, playing a full set in what will be his only St. Louis appearance this year. He leads an impressive award-winning lineup:

  • Flo Rida

o   Five-time Grammy nominee Flo Rida is an American rapper and singer who 2007 breakout single “Low” was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for over ten weeks and remained in the top ten for over 20 weeks. Having sold over 80 million records worldwide, he is one of the best-selling musical artists in the world.

  • Brothers Osborne

o   Brothers Osborne is an American country music duo consisting of brothers T.J. Osborne and John Osborne. Eight-time Academy of Country Music Award winners and six-time Country Music Award winners, they won the 2022 Grammy Award for “Best Country Duo/Group Performance”.

  • Brittney Spencer

o   Brittney Spencer is an American Country singer/songwriter from Baltimore. Brittney has released three singles; “Sober & Skinny”, “More Than Perfect” and “Wake Me Up (A Fever Dream)”. She was nominated for Country Music Television Music Awards “CMT Digital First Performance of the Year” in 2022 for her performance of “Sober & Skinny”.

  • Bailey Zimmerman

o   From nearby Louisville, IL, Zimmerman is one of country music’s most exciting new voices with the 2022 release of his debut LP, Leave the Light On – the biggest streaming country debut of all time and the most-streamed all-genre debut of the year.

  • Rissi Palmer

o   Risssi Palmer was one of the first African American female country artists to chart on country radio with singles, “Country Girl,” “Hold On To Me,” and “No Air.” She has independently released a Christmas single, her first children’s album, Best Day Ever and an EP titled The Back Porch Sessions. Her most recent album, Revival, has been critically hailed as her most personal and uplifting work to date. While she made her mark in Country Music, she is equally at home in R&B music, bringing the entire spectrum of popular music to bear on music she calls “Southern Soul.”

  • Tim Dugger

o   A NASCAR favorite, country singer-songwriter Dugger returns for the 2023 Confluence Music Festival. After surpassing 15 million career streams, he released his new single, “Buy a Bar” this past February.

“We are so excited to deliver an impressive second-year experience for racing fans as they return to World Wide Technology Raceway,” said Curtis Francois, Owner and CEO of World Wide Technology Raceway. “We have so much to celebrate and live music entertainment is an important part of how we want to attract and delight our guests at the Enjoy Illinois 300.”

David L. Steward, Founder and Chairman of World Wide Technology said, “My family and I are honored to partner with Curtis Francois and the entire WWT Raceway team to bring another amazing line up for this year’s Confluence Festival.”

Special performances by BeBe Winans, Jazz St. Louis, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Madison High School Marching Band and The Muny Teens will put an unforgettable and uniquely local stamp on the event.

“We were intentional about developing a line-up that is exciting, representative and true to the mission of Confluence,” said Kwofe Coleman, President and CEO of the Muny, and producer of the Confluence Festival.  “Sharing the platform of Enjoy Illinois 300’s remarkable reach among local and national artists from various genres is a special opportunity to celebrate the concept of together and offer race-goers and attendees an unforgettable experience.”

Regional acts scheduled to perform over the weekend include:

Blinded By Stereo

DJ Mahf

DJ Big D

Dr. Zhivegas

Dylan Triplett

Funky Butt Brass Band

Lamar Harris

Malena Smith

Red and Black Brass Band

St. Boogie Brass Band

The Bobby Ford Band

The Mighty Pineslead singer Neil Salsich is currently competing on NBC’s The Voice!

Vella La Vella

We Are Root Mod

 

The thousands of fans projected to attend the upcoming Enjoy Illinois 300 Presented by TicketSmarter race and related festivities will be entertained at every turn throughout race weekend. All concerts are included with a race ticket. Tickets sales for the Enjoy Illinois 300 race can be found online.

Confluence Festival: Crossroads of Concert & Community is produced as a collaboration between local arts institutions and arts executives. It is a showcase of innovation, talent and live entertainment and represents the region’s communities coming together in welcoming NASCAR, the No. 1 form of motorsports in the U.S, to World Wide Technology Raceway.

WWTR PR

EAM AND RACE NOTES:

Todd Gilliland heads into the Richmond (Va.) Raceway debuting the Quincy Compressor colors on his No. 38 Ford Mustang.

 

Quincy Compressor, a Bay Minette, Alabama-based compressor manufacturer, is partnering with Gilliland for the first of three races this season. Founded in 1920, Quincy Compressor is a leading designer and manufacturer of reciprocating and rotary screw air compressors, vacuum pumps, and a full line of air treatment components. Quincy has built its reputation on quality and rugged reliability, building tough air compressors for the most demanding applications.

 

Richmond Raceway first hosted the NASCAR Cup Series in 1953 and over 100 Cup races have been contested on the short track.

 

Sunday’s race will be televised live at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

 
 

COMPETITION NOTES: 

Gilliland and the Quincy Compressor team comes into Richmond fresh off their first top-10 finish of the season last weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. This comes after a 15th-place finish at the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.

 

The team has moved to 24th in the championship standings and are hoping to gain more spots this weekend.

 

Gilliland has a best finish of sixth at the track for Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

 

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:

"I will not say that we are happy, but we do like the direction that we’re heading in. Todd keeps saying this is a foundation to build upon and he is right. We’ve had two top-15 finishes with the top-10 last weekend. We need to keep it going and get more top-10 results.” 

 

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:

“Ryan and the team are working hard. It is nice to see some of the results of the past few weeks. The guys in the shop are putting together good cars and we’ve executed at the track. These races are long, so many things happen, but we need to keep being in the right position in the end to maximize the day. We have been doing that here lately.”

 

“It is going to be cool to be racing the Quincy Compressor colors this weekend. Michael (McDowell) debuted the colors at Las Vegas earlier this year and now we get to race it. It is a great looking car and I love that Quincy Compressor is getting into the sport. We’re debuting a new t-shirt soon and I know there will be more to come off the track. I’m going to try and get it done for them on the track this weekend.”

FRM PR

Big Machine Label Group Chairman and CEO Scott Borchetta was involved in an accident yesterday, Sunday, March 26 while racing in the Trans Am Series. He was taken to the hospital to assess his injuries and is currently in stable condition. 
 
We ask everyone to please respect the Borchetta family’s privacy during this time.
 
- Big Machine Label Group
 
On behalf of the entire Trans Am staff and management, we want to wish Scott Borchetta a speedy recovery.
 
Scott is a passionate and talented competitor, and his dedication to Trans Am is evidenced by his participation as a team owner, driver and partner.
 
The safety of our drivers, teams and at-track personnel is our number one priority. We are deeply thankful to the safety and medical crews at the racetrack, as well as those at the local hospital who have provided excellent care.
 
- Trans Am President John Clagett and PMH CEO Tony Parella

Trans Am Series PR

Bobby Labonte has run well in each of the SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic events held at South Boston Speedway held over the course of the two previous seasons.

Last season Labonte qualified second and finished fourth in the 99-lap race at South Boston Speedway. He was having a good run in the 2021 event when he got caught up in a multi-car crash.

Having been fast and having run well at South Boston Speedway in the past two events gives the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer a good feeling as he looks ahead to the The Flying VA Classic, a 99-lap race for the SMART Modified Tour that will headline the URW Credit Union Fools Rush 262 racing program on Saturday afternoon, April 1 at South Boston Speedway. Race time is 3 p.m.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Labonte remarked.

“Last year we qualified second and finished fourth. We ran pretty well. The year before, we ran well and got caught up in a wreck. This is one of my favorite places of the year to go to.”

South Boston Speedway is a track that suits Labonte’s driving style.

“It fits my driving style somewhat with the speed,” Labonte explained.

“It’s a fast racetrack. I like that part about it. Things happen in a hurry. You’ve got to be on your toes. Last year as the race went on you were able to move around (on the track) a little bit. I think that’s cool.”

Labonte said fans will see a great a race in Saturday’s 99-lap race at South Boston Speedway.

“That racetrack puts on a great race,” he noted.

“I think the fans will see that. I always enjoy being part of that. I love going up there. That’s one of those tracks that if you had to go somewhere more than once a season, you ask why don’t we go there more than once a year. It’s one of the greatest facilities that we go to on the east coast.”

The former Cup Series champion points to a good handling car, tire management, and the timing of a pit stop for fresh tires as keys to having a successful outcome in Saturday’s race. Track position can also be a prime element to success.

“You need to manage your tires a little bit and your pit stop needs to be at the right time,” Labonte pointed out.

“When it comes down to it, handling is very critical. South Boston Speedway is a place where if you’re a little tight it will slow you down. If you’re a little loose, it will slow you down a lot more. Your balance has to be really really good. You can move around on the track a little bit to change that but it’s hard. If your (tire) stagger is off a little bit or if you pit at the wrong time, it’s hard to recover. It’s hard to pass, so track position might be the key."

Labonte is driving for a new team this season, piloting cars fielded by Sadler-Stanley Racing powered by Pace-O-Matic. The team is co-owned by former NASCAR competitor Hermie Sadler of Emporia, Virginia and Virginia State Senator Bill Stanley. Former Cup Series competitor Ryan Newman drives the team’s second entry and competes in selected races. Jonathan Cash is driving the car in events that Newman does not compete in.

Last season was the team’s first season, and it finished sixth in the final 2022 SMART Modified Tour point standings with driver Jonathan Brown. Brown finished second in last year’s race at South Boston Speedway.

Labonte debuted with the team in a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at Martinsville Speedway last October.
“The transition is going well,” Labonte said during an interview last Friday.

“We did that race at Martinsville kind of in a hurry. We probably rushed that a little too quickly and weren’t quite as prepared. We had a good run going at Florence (South Carolina) Motor Speedway (in the 2023 SMART Modified Tour season-opener) and got a little loose at the end of the race. Then we had two rainouts.

“All of the stars are aligned,” he added.

“I feel we have everything we need to go win races or be competitive week-in and week-out and win races as good as anybody. There are a lot of good things there. We should show up with the feeling of we should be in Victory Lane.”

In addition to The Flying VA Classic 99-lap SMART Modified Tour race the Saturday, April 1 URW Credit Union Fools Rush 262 racing program will include twin 71-lap races for the Sentara Healthcare Late Model Stock Car Division and a 21-lap race for the competitors in the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division.

An autograph session with the SMART Stars, the drivers that will be competing in The Flying VA Classic SMART Modified Tour race, will be held behind the main grandstand area immediately following qualifying.

Advance adult general admission tickets for the URW Credit Union Fools Rush 262 are priced at $17 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com or by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Tickets at the gate on race day will be $20 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $17 each at the gate on race day.

The tentative URW Credit Union Fools Rush 262 event-day schedule has frontstretch spectator gates opening at 10:45 a.m. Practice is set to start at 11 a.m., qualifying is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the first race of the day is set to get the green flag at 3 p.m.

Fans and competitors can find the latest news and updates from South Boston Speedway on the speedway’s website and through the track’s social media channels. Information may also be obtained by phoning the speedway at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

SBS PR

Our Motorsports is pleased to announce that Blaine Perkins will return as driver of the team’s No. 02 for the upcoming NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Richmond, VA. This will mark Perkins’ third consecutive season behind the wheel of an Our Motorsports Chevrolet.

Perkins began the season as driver of the No. 07 for SS Green Light Racing; however, following the fifth race of the season in Atlanta, team and driver mutually agreed to part ways. After hearing the announcement, Perkins fell on the radar of Our co-owner Vic Reynolds. “We had an opening for our No. 02 at Richmond,” said Reynolds. “Blaine has been an important part of our team’s short history. He competed in the top-10 the entire race last fall at Martinsville and we want to give him the chance to do that again in Richmond.”

While Perkins pilots the Our No. 02, teammate Kyle Weatherman will take the wheel of the No. 96 Chevrolet of newly formed FRS Racing as a part of a strategic alliance between FRS and Our Motorsports for the 250-lap event. Weatherman will return to Our following the race in Richmond.

"I'm really excited for the opportunity that Chris, Vic and the men and women at Our are providing to me," said Perkins. “They gave me my first break at the top level and the high points of my career so far have been with them. I want to build on that success this weekend!”

Perkins will race with the support of Virginia-based Larry’s Hard Lemonade as a part of the company’s race weekend activities for the brewer’s home track. Catch all the action of the NASCAR Xfinity Series from Richmond this Saturday at 1:00 EST with coverage on FS1 and MRN.

Our Motorsports PR

The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series serves as a driver development platform among NASCAR’s National Series and Zane Smith of Front Row Motorsports could serve as its poster child.
 
After bouncing around for a few years between ARCA and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Smith has found an opulent home in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The 23-year-old Californian is in the midst of his fourth full season in the series – which makes a stop at Texas Motor Speedway for Saturday’s SPEEDYCASH.COM 250 – (3:30 p.m., CT TV: FS1. Radio: MRN, SiriusXM) – and he has built quite the resume.
 
After championship runner-up finishes in 2020 and ’21 with GMS Racing, Smith moved to Front Row Motorsports in the No. 38 Ford last season and cashed in with his first series championship. In 73 career starts, he has recorded nine wins, 28 top-five finishes and 50 top-10 efforts. His most recent win came this past Saturday at Circuit of The Americas in Austin and he will look to complete the unofficial “Texas Two Step” with a win in the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250.
 
“The Truck Series has been really good to me,” said Smith, who was named the series rookie of the year and most popular driver in 2020. “I’ve simply just enjoyed the time I’ve had in the Truck Series. They’re a ton of fun to drive. Either if I go do Xfinity racing or Cup racing in the future, I still want to be messing around some in the Truck Series.
 
“Like I said, I really just enjoy the series. I have a really good group behind me, the same group this year as I had last year. I’ve always had pretty fast trucks and, fortunately, have been able to collect some trophies in the process and the championship last year but we’re hungry for more.”
 
Smith is off to another strong campaign, kicking it off with a victory in the series opener at Daytona. His win at COTA moved him from fifth to first in the NCTS points standings, two ahead of second-place Ty Majeski of ThorSport Racing, heading into the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250.
 
“Awesome year so far, great to rebound from last week,” Smith said. “… Obviously, starting out our year with a win at Daytona has been the best way to start out the year. We went to Vegas, where we showed a lot of speed, and finished second to Kyle (Busch). Then, at Atlanta, we had another fast truck and ran well, collected some pretty good stage points and, unfortunately, got caught up in an accident on the last lap coming to the checkered in (Turns) 3 and 4. There wasn’t much we could do there, just the truck underneath us wrecked and, unfortunately, got collected in his mess.
 
“Other than that, it’s been good. We’ve been strong in a lot of areas. I feel like at the end of last year we knew where we needed to improve, and we improved there so I’m excited for these races coming up.”
 
One of those upcoming races is the SPEEDYCASH.COM 250, which is another 1.5-mile oval and where Smith and Front Row Motorsports have continued to show speed this season.
 
“We’re always excited for all of the mile-and-a-halfs,” Smith said. “We’ve shown a lot of speed on them in the past and in the present, lately, so just ready to get back on them. I’ve always wanted to win at Texas Motor Speedway, but it’s been a struggle to finish one off so, hopefully, this year is the year.”
 
Last season was one of those struggles, where he finished 32nd.  In four career starts at TMS, he has a pair of top-10 finishes highlighted by a best of third in 2020.
 
“All of the mile-and-a-halfs are fast but Texas is a new kind of fast,” Smith said. “It’s just finding what you need in your truck … trying to find that happy medium in practice and qualifying, and then putting a good solid race together. You get huge runs down the front- and backstretch at Texas and (Turns) 1 and 2 are some of the toughest corners in all of the mile-and-a-halfs we go to. Like I said, trying to find that happy medium there is the key.”
 
With a solid start to the season, Smith is putting himself in position for a fourth consecutive appearance in the NCTS Playoffs and another opportunity at a series title.
 
“Consistency, especially through this little five-week stretch we got is so important,” Smith said. “We’ll keep at it. We’ve shown we can do it, so we’ll continue to grind it out, put some good races together, collect some good stage points and, hopefully, some more trophies in the process and, ultimately, find ourselves in the Round of 4.”
 
Smith also is getting a look in the NASCAR Cup Series with Front Row Motorsports. He is scheduled to run at least a half-dozen races with the next one being the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 28) and a return visit to Texas Motor Speedway for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 (Sept. 24).
 
“I’m a big believer in ‘the more things you race, the better race car driver you’re going to be,’” Smith said. “It’s as simple as that. That’s how I approach it, but the Cup car is so far apart from anything any race car driver coming up has ever driven. It’s been a learning process for me and I’m super fortunate to have those six or seven races. I think I have four left and I’m ready to make the most out of them.”
 
Ticket information and online purchases are available at www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
 
Texas Motor Speedway’s 2023 events schedule consists of everything from the April 1-2 NTT INDYCAR SERIES/NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series doubleheader and the Sept. 23-24 NASCAR Playoffs weekend, car shows and competitions and the Ducks Unlimited Expo, the four-day Hwy 30 Music Fest and Bandas y Trocas Hispanic concert and truck show, and then wrapping up the year with the family-favorite and speedway tradition Gift of Lights holiday light show.
 
Season tickets and camping for Texas Motor Speedway’s 2023 major event season are on sale now. Save up to 33 percent versus buying individual tickets, get the best seat selection and more. All-new reduced rates are available for the GEICO Infield, GEICO VIP and WinStar World Casino & Resort Lone Star Circle camping areas. Click HERE for more information and to purchase season tickets.
 
TMS PR

The wait is finally over. The opening of a brand-new season is always one of the most anticipated events of each year.

So, when the green flag drops on Saturday night April 1 at Grandview Speedway, it will begin the 61st consecutive season of stock car racing at the one-third mile high banked clay raceway, all under the direction of the founding Rogers family.

The special Opening Night event will be the 6th annual VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker, featuring Big Block/Small Block Modifieds racing 50-laps for $7500 to win and $1000 to take the green flag. The winning driver will also get a guaranteed starting spot in the September 16 Freedom 76.

Prior to the Opening Night festivities, the annual Free-to-the-Public practice session will be held on Thursday evening, March 30. An all-day rain last Saturday, March 25 forced the open practice session to be rescheduled to the mid-week date, ensuring drivers some track time to test their racer cars before the official beginning of competition on Saturday, April 1.

For the practice on March 30, pit gates will open at 3 pm. and the practice, open to all classes, will run from 6 until 10 pm. Pit admission is $35 and no license is required. Grandstand admission is totally free for spectators wishing to catch some of the new race cars in preparation for the opener.

Anyone who purchased a season pass may also mark their seat on Thursday evening starting at 6 pm.

The VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker is run annually to honor the late track owner and promoter who helped his father build the track, then along with his family run it for over 50 years, taking it to national prominence before his death in 2017.

Scoring a win on Opening Day has always been considered a special event, as first of all it is a traditional race being one that is always remembered, and for the driver who wins, a great start to his season. In recent years, the driver who wins has the honor of winning the race run in remembrance of Bruce Rogers, the man who made it happen at Grandview Speedway for over five decades.

Taking a look at the history of Opening Day at Grandview, there have been 37 different drivers that have reached victory lane, and the story can be told in two separate chapters. No driver was able to repeat as an Opening Day winner from the first race in 1963 won by Lauden Potts until 22 seasons later, when Fred Rahmer won the 1984 opener after winning in 1981.

The list of names that won in the early years included Potts, Dick Grimley, Red Coffin, Chris Skias, Bucky Williams, Charley Gilmore, Warren Mutter, Paul Fitzcharles, Ed Mumford, Dave Kelly, Mike Erb, Ronnie Peck, Mike Geiser, Francis Hardner, Pete Damiani, Russ Smith, Larry Solomon, Rahmer, and Doug Hoffman.

These drivers were tops in their era and were very important in building the foundation of Grandview Speedway history. After this era, the list of winners became shorter, as several drivers began to dominate the winner’s circle on Opening Night.

Leading the list with the most Opening Night wins is Duane Howard, who has recorded eight first night victories. Howard won an incredible four in a row (2006-2009) and six out of seven openers between 2006 and 2012. His streak was interrupted by a John Willman win in 2010. Howard was also an Opening Night winner in 2015 and 2021.

Craig Von Dohren has seven victories in the season opener and is the defending Bruce Rogers Memorial winner. Von Dohren’s wins have been spread out over a period of time. Von Dohren’s first win in the opener was in 1982, and followed it up with wins in 1990, 1992, 1995, 1998 and eighteen seasons later in 2016, as well as last season in 2022.

Jeff Strunk has six opener wins, the first coming in 1996. He also dominated at the beginning of the new century when he won five out of six season openers between 2000 and 2006. Only a Meme DeSantis win in 2003 stopped his streak.

Other drivers with multiple wins in the opener include Tom Mayberry (1980, 1999), Davey Wenger (1987, 1988), Meme DeSantis (2003, 2013) and Stewart Friesen (2014, 2018).

Drivers who also took single wins since 1985 include Dennis Thomas, Charlie Eckert, Rick Schaffer, Billy Schinkel, Kenny Brightbill, Paul Koch, Randy Bailey, John Willman, Kevin Hirthler, Matt Sheppard and Tim Buckwalter.

The last five seasons, the opener has been expanded to include Big Block Modifieds in addition to the track’s regular Small Block Modifieds running in a combination event. Winning the first five VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorials were Stewart Friesen, Matt Sheppard, Timmy Buckwalter, Duane Howard, and last year Craig Von Dohren. All the other openers were for the 358 modifieds except the very first race in 1963 which was a Big Block event.

In addition to the Modifieds, the Sportsman will also be a part of the Opening Night activities running a full program with qualifying and feature action.

Jared Umbenhauer won the first two for the class (2012, 2013), followed by Brett Kressley winning the next two in (2014, 2015). Craig Whitmoyer was a winner in 2016 before the Hirthler brothers took over the next four seasons, with Brian winning (2017, 2020) and Kevin (2018, 2019). For the 2021 season it was Kyle Lilick grabbing the opening victory, followed by Jordan Henn scoring a win in 2022.

VP Racing Fuels is the sponsor of the Season Opener and will have a VP fuel truck on hand at the track for this event, fully stocked. The VP Fuel truck will be on hand selling fuel as well as VP lubricants and apparel.

VP Fuels is advising all race teams that for this program they can do pre-orders with distributor Road Runner Fuels by contacting them at 717.587.1693. There will be free shipping charges for this day.

Grandview Speedway management has announced that new for this season, the Opening Night program will now be sanctioned by NASCAR and will be the first point race of the new campaign for both the Modified and Sportsman divisions toward both the track and NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Championships.

As was announced earlier, only the driver is required to hold a NASCAR license for competition during the season, with owners and crew members having the option to enter the pits as members or pay a non-member fee. Management does encourage purchasing the NASCAR license for the additional insurance coverage.

For the Bruce Rogers Memorial event, all drivers are welcome to compete as in years past, and if any driver is not a track regular, the Speedway will cover the cost of the $25 temporary NASCAR driver license for this one night of competition.

The feature event will qualify 24 cars to start. There will be no provisional or guaranteed starters added of any kind. Heat races will be lined up by a straight draw, consolation qualifiers will follow to set the field for the 50-lap championship feature.

There is no entry fee for this special event, however drivers are encouraged to pre-enter by calling or texting 484.256.4375, providing the driver’s name, contact information and phone number. Drivers are also reminded to visit the speedway website at www.grandviewspeedway.com to print and fill out a W-9 form and bring it with them to the track on Opening Night. The W-9 form must be provided to the pit office to be eligible for drivers to draw for heat race starting spots.

The T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman will also begin their point season on the Opening Night program in a full show which includes qualifying events and a 25-lap feature race.

Information and car rules are listed for the VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker on the speedway website at www.grandviewspeedway.com under the Bruce Rogers Memorial tab.

Rev. Don Kerns will present Da Rev’s tailgate worship and communion service from 4-4:45 at the meet and greet area outside the main gate on April 1. Bring your own tailgate and chair and join in the worship service. Pastor Don will be on hand starting at 3:45 pm. There will not be a meet and greet with the drivers for the opener.

Race time on Opening Night is 6 pm, which will be the starting time for all Saturday night programs for the month of April. Pit gates open at 1 pm, grandstand gates open at 4 pm, followed by the drivers meeting and position draw at 4 pm, then warm-ups at 5 pm.

Grandstand admission for adults is $30, students 12-16 with ID are $20, while children 11 and under are admitted free. Pit admission is $40 for NASCAR members, and $45 for non-members, and again no license is required.

Saturday, April 8 is set aside as a rain date if needed for the opener. However, if not needed, then it will be a two-division program under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series banner for the T.P. Trailer 358 Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman. The program will consist of qualifying races leading up to the 30-lap Modified and 25-lap Sportsman main events.

Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through September, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.

Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Thursday, March 30 – Free-to-the-Public Open Practice session – 6 pm.

Saturday, April 1 – 61st Anniversary Season Opener – 6th Annual VP Racing Fuels Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds 50 laps, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 6 pm.

Saturday, April 8 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 6 pm.

Saturday, April 15 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 6 pm.

Sunday, April 16 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 1 pm.

Grandview Speedway PR

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway comes back to life on Saturday, April 1st - Celebrating 119 years of auto racing at "America's Favorite Short Track". The 2023 season opener will see 7 local divisions featuring Pro Late Models, Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Pest Doctor Front Runners, United States Air Force Legends, and Murfreesboro Fence Bandoleros.
 

Fans have plenty to look forward to this year at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and it all begins at 5:00pm on Saturday, April 1st. The stars of the 1/4-mile will begin the exciting night of racing with hopes of getting their 2023 season started off on the right foot. Last year's 1/4-mile champions will be the ones to look out for on opening night, as they try to pull off one of the hardest feats in all of sports, repeating their championship run.

These include Murfreesboro Fence Company Bandolero champion #9 Gavon Veach, United States Air Force Legends pro champion #17 Oliver Cordell and semi-pro champion #9 Michael Crafton, Pest Doctor Front Runner champion #9 Matt Hamlett, Pure Stock champion #4 Michael Neidert, Street Stock champion #3 Travis Arms, and Limited Late Model champion #93 Kevin Rollins.

The great night of racing action will be capped off with 119 laps from the Pro Late Model division around the 5/8-mile track. The 119 laps run by the Pro Late Models are in honor of the 119 years of auto racing at the famed track. Last year’s Pro Late Model champion, Dylan Fetcho, picked up his 2nd championship, in the division, and will be one of the top competitors returning for the 2023 season. Fetcho will have a tough time defending his 2022 championship reign with full fields of talented wheelmen from around the country making their way to test their skills at "America's Favorite Short Track."

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway is coming off one of the most entertaining seasons in its long historic career in 2022. With 2023 expected to see more of the same with 11 races scheduled with a new series making its way to the speedway, the 500 sprint car series, as well as the marquee event of the year, the All American 400, now transforming into a championship event for the newly formed ASA STARS National Touring Series. 

The 500 Sprint Car Tour presented by Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Part Stores will be making its first appearance at "America's Favorite Short Track" on Saturday, July 29th.  The non-winged sprint cars will be making their way back to Nashville for the first time in 19 years. The high-speed open-wheel race cars put on fantastic shows with exciting side-by-side racing and extreme horsepower. 
 
The All American 400, which has been a long standing event at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway since 1981, and will now be held on Fri.-Sun. November 3rd-5th. The marquee super late model feature held on Sunday, November 5th will now have some extra flair. Becoming a season ending championship event for the newly formed ASA STARS National Tour series. Some notable winners of the All American 400 include Rusty Wallace, Darrel Waltrip, Gary St. Amant, Chase Elliot, John Hunter Nemechek, and Bubba Pollard. 
 
Track Enterprises PR

CAAL Racing has finalized its plans for the 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series with an all-Belgian line-up for the #56 Chevrolet Camaro. NWES veteran and endurance racing legend Marc Goossens will drive the car in EuroNASCAR PRO, while his good friend Sven van Laere will join the team to compete in EuroNASCAR 2. The two Belgians know each other well and it will be like clockwork when it comes to fine-tuning the car for six thrilling events of NASCAR racing in Europe. 

Goossens was born in Lommel but lives in Kasterlee. The popular endurance star joined EuroNASCAR in 2016 and has one race win so far, which he achieved in the 2017 season at his home track, Zolder. With 24 top-5 finishes in EuroNASCAR PRO to his credit, the 52-year-old knows what it takes to be successful at the wheel of a 400-horsepower V8 beast without any electronic driving aids. The professional racer, team owner and Formula One TV analyst for the Belgian television is looking to add more wins to his resume. 

"Winning the championship and going to Victory Lane are always the goals," said Goossens. "I just love the close racing in the best series in Europe." The full-time father has competed in major races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona and also US NASCAR races during his career, so experience is one of his key strengths in beating the competition in EuroNASCAR's premier championship. Despite a late start to his career at the age of 14, Goossens has become one of the most successful professional drivers from Belgium.

His good friend van Laere is no newcomer to EuroNASCAR, with the Belgian making his debut in the 2019 season and finishing as high as 16th at his home track, Circuit Zolder. The 49-year-old will be fighting for glory in the Legend Trophy, which is dedicated to drivers 40 years and older, and to have a say in the top-10 of the EuroNASCAR 2 overall standings. Born in Gent, the Zoersel-based racer has set himself high goals for his first full-time season. 

"I want to win the Legend Trophy and fight for some overall podiums," said the Belgian. "I really like the close racing with the same cars for every driver in the championship. Drivers can really make the difference in EuroNASCAR." Entering his 26th season of racing, van Laere is a true veteran when it comes to driving fast cars around the track. The veteran sports car driver has enjoyed success in Belgium throughout his career and is eager to add some international trophies to his EuroNASCAR shelf at home.

As the founder of two companies in the automotive and real estate sectors, van Laere will be in good company with other fast gentleman drivers in EuroNASCAR 2. Spending a lot of time with his family, the Belgian will compete in all twelve races across six events at some of the best tracks in Europe. "My experience and my ability to fight in close races in a clean and proper way are my strengths," said van Laere when asked what sets him apart as a race car driver. In the 2023 season, he will also be supporting his son Maxime, who will be making his debut in karting. His teammate Goossens is not only a close friend, but also his racing idol.

The 2023 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season kicks off May 6-7 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. The Belgian duo will be part of the coverage on EuroNASCAR's YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and several TV channels around the world, which will include all qualifying and race sessions. CAAL Racing will once again field three cars and compete for victories in nearly every category EuroNASCAR has to offer.

NWES PR

X

No right click

Please link the article.