Zane Smith is in the House. Trackhouse Racing today announced a multi-year driving agreement with the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion and its aim to operate three full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries in 2025. Smith will officially join Trackhouse in January of 2024, teaming with a talented stable of Trackhouse drivers which includes 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship runner-up Ross Chastain, the only foreign-born touring series champion in NASCAR history, Daniel Suárez, and Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealander who shocked the NASCAR world in July by winning his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Course. In 2024, Smith will race full time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving a Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in an alliance with Trackhouse.  “Expansion is not something to be taken lightly, but we feel Trackhouse is commercially and technically positioned for growth,” said Trackhouse founder and owner Justin Marks. “You need good timing, very good partners and great drivers. Adding Zane is like signing the No. 1 draft pick and we are proud that he is now a member of the Trackhouse family.” Smith is a nine-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner completing his fourth full-time season this year. He has also run seven Cup Series races in the last two seasons highlighted by a 10th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May.

“This is an incredible moment for me,” said Smith. “Trackhouse is one of the most progressive organizations in the garage. I told some friends a year ago that I wanted to be a part of what Trackhouse is doing and I just can’t believe this is all coming true. I am very excited and thankful to have a future with the organization. “The Cup series is the pinnacle of racing in America, and I cannot wait to compete, learn and hone my skills against the best in the world. I am really looking forward to working with the Spire Motorsports team in 2024 and believe the alliance with Trackhouse will help continue Spire’s ascent up the grid.”

The Huntington Beach, California native began racing go-karts in 2004 and won championships five consecutive years before moving to legends car racing and super late models. He recorded victories in the World Series of Asphalt, Pro All Stars Series and the CARS Tour, as well as garnering a runner-up finish in the Snowball Derby. He moved to ARCA racing winning four races and finishing second in the standings in 2018. He ran 10 Xfinity Series races in 2019 scoring two top-five finishes and moved to the truck series fulltime finishing second in the standings in 2020 and 2021. He won the 2022 title and is still in the truck series playoffs as he seeks a second consecutive championship. Spire Motorsports was founded in 2018 by long-time NASCAR industry executives Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. The team currently fields two full-time NASCAR Cup Series teams with drivers Corey LaJoie and Ty Dillon and fields select entries in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series competition. The team earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 20, 2023 when Kyle Larson took the checkered flag in the Tyson 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. “Spire Motorsports will acquire a NASCAR charter from Live Fast Motorsports prior to the 2024 season and we’re thrilled to offer our support to Trackhouse Racing, a key member of the Chevrolet family,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Spire has a longstanding relationship with Justin Marks and we are proud of everything he and all the men and women at Trackhouse have accomplished in a relatively short time. “This cooperative agreement is also proof-positive of the hard work of everyone at Spire Motorsports. We certainly wouldn’t be in this position without Mr. Hendrick and the competition group at Hendrick Motorsports so we continue to be grateful for that relationship. T.J. and I are also grateful to B.J. McLeod and Matt Tifft for working with us on the charter acquisition. We’re looking at a watershed moment for our organization that further demonstrates our commitment to the sport.” Smith joins a Trackhouse Racing team that began when Marks retired from a fulltime driving career in NASCAR and sports car racing to create Trackhouse Entertainment Group in 2020 with the goal of creating a racing brand that transcends the sport. Marks formed Trackhouse Racing that took to the track in 2021 with Suárez behind the wheel. In January 2021, the team announced a partnership with international superstar entertainer Pitbull who has been a frequent guest at NASCAR races and elevated Trackhouse’s presence through inclusion in several of his songs, music videos and named his upcoming album “Trackhouse.” Midway through the 2021 season, Trackhouse Racing bought the NASCAR assets of Chip Ganassi Racing and began the 2022 season as its own two-car team with Suárez and Chastain as drivers. Chastain gave the organization its first victory at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 27 and won again at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 24. Suárez became the first Mexican (Monterrey) driver to win a Cup race when he dominated the Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway race in June 20.  In 2023, Chastain won the Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway race on June 25 and van Gisbergen won the inaugural Chicago Street race on July 2 driving for Trackhouse’s PROJECT91 program Marks created to offer NASCAR opportunities to international driving stars. Trackhouse Entertainment Group operates out of Nashville, Tenn. while the race shop is in Concord, North Carolina

Trackhouse Racing PR

After a two-year and 10-month ordeal with the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Judge in our case granted a Motion for Summary Judgment in favor of DWR. All of us at the Speedway are determined to coexist and continue operations if and when the construction begins. We want to thank everyone for their efforts to support #saveperris and if we need your support in the future we will let you know.  

Thank you,

Don Kazarian

The Race of Champions Weekend began with a successful and full day of practice under bright sunlight for well over 100 cars in the pit area in North East, Pa., at Lake Erie Speedway. Teams prepared for their own races as well as many modifieds fine tuning for Sunday’s 73^rd Annual Lucas Oil Race of Champions 250.

The Race of Champions FOAR SCORE Four Cylinder Dash Series Triple Challenge presented by Rusty Diamond Cores, the FOAR SCORE Fan Club kicked off with Jeff Szafraniec of Akron, N.Y., winning the 20-lap feature. Szafraniec topped Nick Robinson of Waverly, N.Y., and Joey Bevacqua of Rome, Pa. Russ Bulger, Jr. of Buffalo, N.Y., and Dave Milbrand of Clarence, N.Y., rounded out the top-five.

Szafraniec and Robinson won the qualifying races.

Everything for today’s racing activity remains on schedule, as planned, with practice at 12:00pm (Noon) and racing beginning at 2:30pm. Great seats remain available for today’s Race of Champions Weekend featuring the “Erie Sports Commission 73” for the Race of Champions Sportsman Modified Series. Today’s events will be shown www.rocmodifiedseries.tv beginning at 2:30pm.

Start times for racing on Sunday, September 17 are practice at 11:00am, Qualifying Racing at 1:15pm and the 73^rd Annual Race of Champions 250 at 4:30pm.

Tickets and rooms are going fast for Race of Champions Weekend and the 73^rd Annual Lucas Oil Race of Champions taking place at Lake Erie Speedway in Northeast, Pennsylvania this coming weekend.

The weekend of September 15, 16 and 17 provides the only stock car racing appearance at the ultra-modern speedway which is also the most prestigious and anticipated racing weekend in the region.

The official hotel for the event is the Days Inn; 6101 Wattsburg Road, Erie, Pennsylvania 16509. Phone Number: 732 749 0110. Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. www.wyndhamhotels.com/days-inn/erie-pennsylvania/days-inn-erie/overview

The fun filled weekend of racing and partying concludes with the 73^rd Lucas Oil Race of Champions 250, “The Greatest tradition in Modified racing”. The 250-lap race for the Race of Champions Modified Series brings a conclusion to Race of Champions Weekend, which is now become a staple at the facility.

Each of the Race of Champions divisions compete over the course of the weekend with marquee events. The Race of Champions Sportsman Modifieds; Race of Champions Super Stocks; Race of Champions Late Models; Race of Champions Street Stocks; Race of Champions FOAR SCORE Four Cylinder Dash; Race of Champions Rocket Performance 602 Sportsman Modified all compete for glory in a celebration of the sport of short track racing.

Over $100,000 in purse money is available for participants at Race of Champions Weekend. All race winners will receive the traditional Race of Champions Silver Bowl.

Tickets may be purchased for the weekend and will be available at the Lake Erie Speedway ticket office or at www.lakeeriespeedway.com/schedule. Don’t miss “The Greatest Tradition in Modified Racing”.

Team registration for the race and pit parking is open on MyRacePass; https://www.myracepass.com/series/1810/registrations

Where: Lake Erie Speedway, North East, Pa.

When: Friday, September 15; Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17, 2023.

Directions: The track is located just twenty minutes of East Erie, Pa., minutes from Interstate 90 and directly of Interstate 86 at 10700 Delmas Drive, North East, Pa., 16428

What: Race of Champions Weekend; the 73^rd Annual Lucas Oil Race of Champions 250

More Information: www.lakeeriespeedway.com (Track Phone: 814.725.3303) / www.rocmodifiedseries.com                  

ROC Mods PR

Brian Hirthler of Green Lane, Pa., a three-time track champion, and the all-time leading feature winner in T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division action, scored the win in the division’s most prominent race, the 10^th annual Freedom 38 championship on Friday night at Grandview Speedway.

Hirthler set himself up nicely for the feature race by charging from a seventh place starting spot to finish second in his heat, qualifying for the main event, then drew fourth starting spot for the extra-distance championship race. Once the race started Hirthler slid back to fifth before he worked his favorite top groove around the speedway and slowly worked around Parker Guldin of Fleetwood, Pa., Zane Roth of Slatington, Pa., Joe Toth of Upper Makefield, Pa., and then race leader Jordan Henn of Kutztown, Pa. on lap twelve to take a lead he would never surrender on his way to a $3500 payday for the win.

The winner’s share included the $2000 posted payoff, a $500 bonus from Lisa’s Landscaping of Hatfield, Pa., a $500 bonus from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and another $500 bonus from the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series for making all the point races at Grandview Speedway during the 2023 season. Hirthler also received a custom Winner’s Jacket from Bob Hilbert Sportswear of Boyertown, Pa.

Jordan Henn would take the lead at the start of the 10^th annual T.P. Truck Equipment Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship and would set the pace through several early caution flags for minor tangles, one of which included 2023 Track Champion Logan Watt of Boyertown, Pa. who would have to restart at the rear after advancing from 18^th starting spot to 10^th in just four laps.

The field of cars would stay tightly bunched together and the action was hot and heavy throughout the entire field in the early going with the numerous cautions regrouping the line-up.

Hirthler would make his way to his favorite outside groove and slowly pick his way through the top five spots as the early laps clicked off. Hirthler would take Roth for third on lap six, battle with Toth and pick off second spot with an outside pass on lap ten, then catch and pass Henn for the lead with an outside groove pass off of turn four to score lap twelve.

The longest green flag stretch of the feature was next, as the green stayed out from lap 15 until another caution on lap 24 for Guldin who broke while running in the top ten. During this time Hirthler pulled away with the lead while Logan Bauman of Bechtelsville, Pa., Guldin, Jesse Landis of Gilbertsville, Pa., Addison Meitzler of Kempton, Pa., Dylan Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa., and Kyle Smith of Fleetwood, Pa. were all dicing for the top spots.

Hirthler finally reached lapped traffic on lap 22, only to have that wiped away by the lap 24 caution. Following this slowdown, were two more quick cautions, before the race would run caution free to the end.

During this final green flag run, Hirthler set the pace unchallenged, leaving Henn and Toth in a good battle for second which Toth secured with a slider past Henn on lap 28. Dylan Swinehart continued his forward march from 17^th starting spot and moved into the top five on lap 25, eventually moving past Meitzler and Bauman to challenge Henn for third.

The closing laps would see Hirthler and Toth out front, Henn and Swinehart dueling for third, Meitzler and Smith battling for fifth, while Bauman and a late charging Watt also were fighting for positions.

At the checkered flag it was Brian Hirthler scoring his third feature win of the season, his 21^st career Grandview win, and his first win in the Freedom 38 Championship race. Following Hirthler were Toth, Swinehart, Henn, Smith, Meitzler, Watt, Bauman, Cody Manmiller of Philadelphia, Pa., and Jesse Landis.

Qualifying heats for the 61 cars on hand were won by Dylan Swinehart, Brad Grim of Coplay, Pa., Brad Arnold of Bethel, Pa., Zane Roth, Dakota Kohler of Kutztown, Pa., and Logan Bauman, with the three consolation wins going to Kyle Smith, Jesse Hirthler of Boyertown, Pa., and Decker Swinehart of Fleetwood, Pa.

The T.P. Trailer Modifieds were on hand for practice rounds to prepare for the Saturday Freedom 76, with 58 cars taking part in the practice sessions. Some of the quicker drivers in the four rounds of practice were Brandon Grosso of Belle Meade, N.J. turning a lap at 14.357 in round one, Jeff Strunk of Boyertown, Pa. with a quick lap of 15.314 in round two, Jordan Watson of Milford, De. with a quick lap of 15.568 in round three, and Jeff Strunk with a quick lap of 15.653 in the final round.

Grandview Speedway will be presenting the biggest race event of the season, the 53^rd annual Freedom 76 for the T.P. Trailer Modifieds on Saturday night starting at 7 pm.

On Saturday, September 16, the Freedom 76-lap championship will be run for the 358 Modifieds. The program will include qualifying heats, consolation races, Low Down and Dirty cash dash, along with the Schaeffer Racing Minuteman 20 leading to the 76-lap championship feature.

Pit gates open at 9 am for inspections, fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am. and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets, grandstand ticket windows open at 3 pm. pill draw for position is at 4:30 pm. with the drivers meeting at 5 pm. warm-ups are at 6 pm. with racing starting at 7 pm.

Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, while students ages 10-15 with ID are $20, with children ages 9 and under admitted for free. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 23.

Prior to the racing on Saturday, SDS Photography will be hosting an autograph session featuring drivers Logan Watt, Kaitlyn Bailey, Adrianna Delliponti, and Molly Struss from 3 pm. until 4 pm. at the SDS photo booth in the grandstand area.

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 October, 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.

T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT SPORTSMAN FREEDOM 38 FEATURE FINISH (38 laps): BRIAN HIRTHLER ($3500), Joe Toth, Dylan Swinehart, Jordan Henn, Kyle Smith, Addison Meitzler, Logan Watt, Logan Bauman, Cody Manmiller, Jesse Landis, Jesse Hirthler, Mike Schneck Jr., Brandon Edgar, Brad Arnold, Jason Hamilton, Adrianna Delliponti, Nathan Horn, Decker Swinehart, Mark Mohr, Zane Roth, Steve Kemery, Steve Young, Parker Guldin, Keith Haring, Brad Grim, Dakota Kohler, Mark Gaugler, TJ Mayberry

DID NOT QUALIFY: Michael Burrows, Tyler James, Nicholas Hamm, Brett Gilmore, Grant Hilfiger, Bryce Bashore, Brad Force, Xavier Sprague, Molly Struss, Bob Lineman Jr., Tyler Vidal, Jax Yohn, Danny Buccafusca, Kevin Olenick, Joey Vaccaro, Kaitlyn Bailey, Dirk Rimrott, Zach Steffey, Brad Brightbill, Bastian Miller, Talan Carter, Nick Faust, Bryan Rhoads, Colton Perry, Tom Miller Jr., Shon Elk, John Redner, Kenny Bock, Ryan Graver, Dallas Breidenbach, Ethan Bill, Rob Tete, Ronnie Solomon

HEAT WINNERS: Dylan Swinehart, Brad Grim, Brad Arnold, Zane Roth, Dakota Kohler, Logan Bauman

CONSI WINNERS: Kyle Smith, Jesse Hirthler, Decker Swinehart

FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – LISA’S LANDSCAPING - $500 – Brian Hirthler

FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS NASCAR ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WEEEKLY SERIES - $500 – Brian Hirthler

FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS NASCAR ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WEEEKLY SERIES (IF TRACK REGULAR) - $500 – Brian Hirthler

BOB HILBERT SPORTSWEAR CUSTOM WINNER’S JACKET – Brian Hirthler

DEREKA MAE DESIGNS HARD CHARGER - $100 – Kyle Smith +15

COMPETITION CARBURETION FASTEST LAP OF FEATURE CERTIFICATE - $100 – Jordan Henn - .15.431

UPCOMING EVENTS –

Saturday, September 16 – 53rd annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CLASSIC – T.P. Trailer Modifieds 76 laps – 7 pm

Saturday, September 23 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm (Rain date for Freedom 76)

Friday, October 13 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Linda’s Speedway Chargers – 7 pm.

Saturday, October 14 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds Roadrunners – 5 pm.

Grandview Speedway PR

The field of semi-finalists in the race to $1 million has narrowed by four after the first elimination drawing in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff™. NASCAR® and Powerball® announced today, during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the 12 semi-finalists who have advanced in the playoff for a chance to win a VIP trip to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway and the $1 million grand prize.

The semi-finalists in the Round of 12, include:

• Misty Goad – Tucson, AZ
• Marcelo Jo – Boca Raton, FL
• Donald Pope – Michigan City, IN
• Walter Held – Independence, KY
• Richelle Abbott – Gardiner, ME
• Stephanie Walker – West Point, MS
• Joseph Medina – Franklin, NE
• Peter Schmitz – Santa Fe, NM
• Robert Wilkinson – Oakland Gardens, NY
• Angela Tamba – Harrisburg, PA
• Ronald Sewell – Columbia, SC
• Barbara Wipf – Sioux Falls, SD

The four semi-finalists eliminated from the playoff have each won a $2,500 prize for making it to the Round of 16, they include:

• Clara Miller – Hammond, LA
• Richard Day – Shoreview, MN
• Eric Severance – Parshall, ND
• Philip Lesiuk – Cumberland, RI

The next drawing in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff will be for the Round of 8. The 8 semi-finalists advancing in the playoff will be announced during the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 8. The four players eliminated from the playoff at that time will win $5,000 each. The race will air live on NBC, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and the NBC Sports App at 2 p.m. EST.

All semi-finalists entered the national promotion through one of 24 participating state lotteries. Participating lotteries held in-state contests and second-chance drawings throughout the 2023 NASCAR regular season to form a national pool of entrants. The 16 semi-finalists were randomly selected from the national pool during a preliminary drawing on August 12.

The semi-finalists will compete in a series of elimination drawings that mirror the elimination rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs. The four semi-finalists still in the playoff after the Championship 4 drawing will win a VIP trip for two to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway, Nov. 3-5, and advance as finalists to the $1 million drawing.

The $1 million drawing will be broadcast live from the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race™ on NBC on Sunday, Nov. 5. Cash prizes will be awarded to all sixteen semi-finalists based on their elimination position.

The VIP trip experience includes roundtrip airfare for two to Phoenix, three nights hotel accommodations – double occupancy, two Ally Curve Hospitality Club passes for both the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race on Nov. 4 and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Nov. 5, two passes for VIP experiences at Phoenix Raceway including NASCAR Cup Series™ VIP access, NASCAR team hauler tour, MRN radio booth tour, pace car rides, and Victory Lane access, welcome dinner and all meals, and ground transportation to scheduled events and activities.

Lotteries that participated in the inaugural NASCAR Powerball Playoff include Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC. Copyright ©2023 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC. All Rights Reserved. NASCAR®, LLC is not a sponsor of this promotion.

NASCAR PR

A family dynasty is in the making in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series: Gianmarco Ercoli's younger brother, Mario Ercoli, will make his EuroNASCAR 2 debut in Germany at the wheel of the #8 Vict Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro. At the age of 16 years and 3 days, the Rome native – who celebrates his birthday on September 20 – will tie the record set by Leonardo Colavita in 2021. Mario Ercoli will also be competing in his first ever auto race, trying to follow in his brother's footsteps in EuroNASCAR, but the youngster is eager to quickly progress and learn how to handle a 400-horsepower V8 beast without any electronic driving aids. 

Born in 2007, Ercoli watched his successful brother win the EuroNASCAR 2 championship in 2015 and become a title contender in EuroNASCAR PRO, following him on the NWES circuits. "He's one of the best drivers in the series," said the NWES debutant ahead of his first NASCAR start. "When I was young I watched all the F1 races and I also watched my brother race in real life, so the Pure Racing of EuroNASCAR is pumping through my veins. My idol is Michael Schumacher from Germany, but my inspiration is definitely my brother Gimmy.”

The business school student is aiming at becoming a full-time driver in EuroNASCAR 2 in 2024 and his debut at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben could pave the way for the next Ercoli to climb a NWES podium. Before Mario and Gianmarco Ercoli, Maxime and Guillaume Dumarey competed in the series, as did Liam and Loris Hezemans. In fact, the latter have both won races and championships, so Mario Ercoli has a long-term goal to equal another record in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. 

"I will be making my debut at Oschersleben, the first race of my career," he said. "My expectations and goals for this race and the upcoming season are to earn precious experience and try to get some good results. Driving a EuroNASCAR car is such an amazing thing and I'm looking forward to competing against the best NASCAR drivers in Europe in a pure racing style. I'm a young, fair and fast driver who is good at defending positions thanks to my solid race pace". Outside of racing, Mario Ercoli, like his brother Gianmarco, is a big football fan. 

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will hold its regular season finale on September 23-24 at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany. Qualifying and all races will be streamed live on EuroNASCAR's YouTube channel, Motorsport.tv and various television services around the world. Keep an eye out for the Ercoli family as they add a new storyline to the NWES history books.

NWES PR

Race Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:         

●  Cole Custer (Started 1st / Finished 4th, Running, completed 300 of 300 laps)

●  Riley Herbst (Started 16th/ Finished 8th, Running, completed 300 of 300 laps)

SHR Points:

●  Cole Custer (3rd with 2,069 points, 39 points above the top-eight cutoff)

●  Riley Herbst (13th with 705 points)

SHR Race Notes:          

●  Custer earned his 11th top-five of the season and his third top-five in seven career Xfinity Series starts at Bristol.

●  Custer has only finished outside the top-10 twice at Bristol in the Xfinity Series.

● Custer won Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point. He finished second in Stage 2 to earn nine more bonus points.

● Custer led two times for 109 laps to increase his laps-led total at Bristol to 140.

●  Herbst earned his 12th top-10 of the season and his fourth top-10 in five career Xfinity Series starts at Bristol.

●  Herbst has only finished outside the top-10 once at Bristol in the Xfinity Series.

● This is Herbst’s fourth straight top-10 at Bristol. He finished fifth last September, third in 2021, and 10th in 2020.

●  Herbst finished eighth in Stage 2 to earn three bonus points.

Race Notes:      

●  Justin Allgaier won the Food City 300 to score his 22nd career Xfinity Series victory, his third of the season and his second at Bristol. His margin over second-place Daniel Hemric was 1.695 seconds.

●  There were six caution periods for a total of 48 laps.

●  Only 14 of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

Sound Bites:

“It was a good points day for the No. 00 team. I can’t believe that there weren’t many wrecks. I mean honestly, it was a pretty clean race which is great for the series. Overall, we were close to perfect on that second run. I felt like we had a really good No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang, and then we used that last set of tires and for whatever reason we just got way too loose. It was a solid day and our guys did a great job. I wish we could’ve gotten Kevin (Harvick) a win with this throwback scheme, but you know, it’s definitely a good sign that we’re moving in the right direction. We definitely wanted to win at Bristol, but we’ll move on to Texas." – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

“I mean, it was a decent race for the No. 98 Monster Energy team. Last to eighth. I wish we hadn’t had to start in the back because I think we could’ve run up front and been able to make the adjustments needed to make the car better. Overall, proud of the team for that comeback. We’ll head to Texas and hopefully have another good day." – Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang

Next Up:          

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. It is the second race of the Xfinity Series playoffs and the second race of the Round of 12. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

SHR PR

Throughout the first 31 races of the USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship season, Logan Seavey had led just one single, solitary lap.

During Friday night’s feature at Indianapolis, Indiana’s Circle City Raceway, all the Sutter, Calif. native led was about 10 feet or so to pull off his first series victory of the year in his 2B Racing/Honest Abe Roofing – Benic Enterprises – Goodnight Racing/DRC/Claxton Chevy.

Shane Cottle, who had taken over the lead on lap 19 of the 30-lap main event, appeared to have the race in his grasp until roughly four laps to go. That’s when Seavey began to make some headway on Cottle who had pegged himself to the bottom groove.

Lap after lap, Seavey got a little bit closer, until he found himself trailing Cottle by a single car length at the line on the white flag lap. Seavey dug in, and at the exit of turn four on the 30th and final lap, finally emerged ahead of Cottle, just moments before the two crossed the finish line with Seavey out front.

Seavey’s one car length margin of victory was calculated at a 0.142 second interval over Cottle, the second closest finish of the series season behind only Mitchel Moles’ 0.093 second score over Carson Garrett in July at Macon (Ill.) Speedway.

Already a four-time NOS Energy Drink National Midget winner and twice a Silver Crown victor in 2023, Seavey’s National Sprint Car win made him the first driver this season to earn victories in all three of USAC’s national divisions.

Furthermore, Seavey provided his 2B Racing team with its first USAC National Sprint Car feature triumph since a May 18, 2012, win by driver Bobby East at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway more than 11 years ago.

Overall, it was Seavey’s ninth career USAC National Sprint Car win, moving him to 57th on the all-time list and into a tie with Mario Andretti, Pat O'Connor, Hunter Schuerenberg and Robbie Stanley. But this one at Circle City was certainly among the most satisfying.

“I was just watching the laps click down with seven or eight to go and I really wasn’t gaining on him,” Seavey recalled. “I knew that the harder I ran, the slower I’d go. I just talked to myself a little bit and made sure I hit my marks rather than overdrive it. There were a few laps where I was turning down off four and it was okay, but I knew that in order to run him down earlier, I had to get up there and pound it.”

Prior to this night, Seavey’s best performance of the USAC National Sprint Car season came via a runner-up result in July at the very same place – Circle City Raceway. Although it had been his best run to this point in the year, Seavey felt he left one on the table. He was determined not to let that happen this time around.

“The last time I was here, I got myself a little bit out of balance in the middle of the race and I felt like I gave one away,” Seavey admitted. “This time, I wanted to make sure my car was going to stay good against the cushion so I could run it as hard as I could, but man, it was tough.”

To boot, Seavey’s car was one he had not driven before. The chassis is a nine-year-old DRC built in 2014 that has been driven occasionally by Scotty Weir on the local level at Gas City (Ind.) I-69 Speedway. It was originally owned by Baldwin Brothers Racing but was later sold to Lou Gagliardi’s team and driven by Dustin Smith. When Gagliardi sold his equipment a couple years ago, 2B Racing team owner Scott Benic purchased the car. But that’s only where the story begins.

Benic had the car powder coated and sold it to Australian driver Travis Millar, who raced it during this summer’s USAC Indiana Sprint Week series. At the conclusion of ISW, Millar sold the car back to Benic and the 2B Racing team made the machine their backup car. After not running up to their expectations last weekend, the car with a long, winding history was upgraded to the primary ride for Seavey at Circle City. Thanks to the car affectionately nicknamed “Barney,” the old dinosaur put Seavey and 2B Racing back in victory lane.

Carson Garrett started first and ran first for the initial six laps of the feature until outside front row starting Seavey made a flourish into the lead with a full head of steam as he charged around the outside of Garrett to lead lap seven by a foot with Cummins, winner of the last two USAC Sprint Car races this season at Circle City, right on their heels back in third.

Seventh running Jadon Rogers spun to a stop in turn three on lap eight to bring out the yellow. Sixth starting Cottle had held steady in sixth until the caution, but the emperor soon found his new groove along the bottom of the 1/4-mile dirt oval as he marched his way up to fourth three laps later.

After clipping the turn four infield tire on lap 14, Cottle lost substantial ground in his quest. However, he soon received a reprieve due to the misfortune of those just in front of him. On lap 17, Garrett (2nd) and Cummins (3rd) headed for the same piece of real estate entering turn one. Cummins climbed Garrett's left side wheels, resulting in Garrett spinning to a stop as Cummins continued onward.

Seavey's 1.154 second lead was eradicated with the stoppage, and the beneficiary soon after was Cottle. In one fell swoop, Cottle drove under both Cummins and Seavey to advance from third to first on lap 19. With five to go, Cottle’s seemingly healthy lead stood at more than a full second until Seavey tracked him down to earn his first series win since June of 2022 at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway.

The confidence and swagger for Seavey and the 2B Racing team has rekindled of late after what has been a trying season that has had the team outside of the top-10 in the series point standings all year long. But the team stuck with it, and finally, good fortune was theirs in the end.

“These guys are doing everything they can to make this car good for us,” Seavey praised. “We’ve had some good runs and we’ve also struggled a lot too. Scott (Benic), Derek (Claxton), Matt (Meeks), Kevin Newton and everyone who works on this thing has put in the time and effort and has not given up. There have been a lot of nights where we were all just looking at each other not knowing what we were doing wrong. They brought in a new car this week and it drove really good all day. Hopefully we can keep this speed up for the rest of the year.”

For Shane Cottle (Kansas, Ill.), it was a frustrating end to what was a spectacular performance which saw him nearly win his first USAC feature of the season. But just like the end of his USAC Silver Crown run at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in August, his winning expedition was ripped away in the waning laps by Seavey. Nonetheless, Cottle earned Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifying honors to open the night, then drove his Epperson Racing/Epperson Painting – PPG Paints/DRC/Claxton Chevy to a season-best second place result.

“I don’t know what I could’ve done differently,” Cottle lamented. “I was good around the bottom, and I kept hearing him for about two or three laps. All I could do was just keep hitting my marks. He was just better than I was. It’s just one of them deals.”

Mired back in the 14th starting spot, Robert Ballou (Rocklin, Calif.) had a long road to hoe on his way to a third-place result in his Ballou Motorsports/The Boss Builder’s Outlet Super Store – Dragonfly Aviation/Twister-X/Ott Chevy. That effort of 11 positions gained earned Ballou hard charger honors for the evening.

“You’ve just got to go where they’re not, so I picked the middle land,” Ballou explained. “At the beginning, they were kind of dicing around the bottom. I went a lane above them and got by some guys that are normally really difficult to pass. I think I must’ve caught them by surprise. The seas kind of parted, so I moved to the middle, and we were okay until about 10 to go and I just kind of lost a little drive. These top-five to 10 guys are extremely tough and they’ve got really good crews and they’ve got really good engines and they’ve got their package together. I’ve been just a tick off all season and we’re finally starting to creep around to where I think we’re almost in a stride.”

=====================

USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE RESULTS: September 15, 2023 – Circle City Raceway – Indianapolis, Indiana – 1/4-Mile Dirt Track

HONEST ABE ROOFING QUALIFYING: 1. Shane Cottle, 2E, Epperson-12.133; 2. Justin Grant, 4, TOPP-12.159; 3. Kyle Cummins, 3R, Rock Steady-12.176; 4. C.J. Leary, 15x, BGE Dougherty-12.183; 5. Logan Seavey, 2B, 2B Racing-12.184; 6. Carson Garrett, 15, BGE Dougherty-12.234; 7. Jake Swanson, 21AZ, Team AZ-12.260; 8. Brady Bacon, 69, Dynamics-12.321; 9. Daison Pursley, 5p, KO-12.367; 10. Matt Westfall, 33m, Marshall-12.392; 11. Trey Osborne, 6T, Osborne-12.414; 12. Robert Ballou, 12, Ballou-12.465; 13. Mitchel Moles, 19AZ, Reinbold/Underwood-12.470; 14. Brandon Mattox, 28, Mattox-12.481; 15. Jadon Rogers, 17GP, Dutcher-12.503; 16. Chase Stockon, 5s, KO-12.515; 17. Brent Beauchamp, 11, Beauchamp-12.616; 18. Kody Swanson, 77, Wedgewood-12.626; 19. Emerson Axsom, 47BC, Clauson Marshall Newman-12.659; 20. Frankie Guerrini, 63, F & F-12.752; 21. Thomas Meseraull, 23, NIKSTE-12.839; 22. Jack Hoyer, 5, Baldwin/Fox-12.849; 23. Hunter Maddox, 24m, Maddox-12.870; 24. John Sluss, 4R, RayPro-12.958; 25. Scott Hampton, 51, Slinkard-12.963; 26. Devan Myers, 75, Myers-12.987; 27. Chance Crum, 26, Rudeen-12.999; 28. Bryar Schroeter, 21s, Schroeter-13.156; 29. Gabriel Gilbert, 10G, Gilbert-13.293; 30. Wes Pinkerton, 21, Hajduk-13.545.

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Matt Westfall, 2. Shane Cottle, 3. Jake Swanson, 4. C.J. Leary, 5. Emerson Axsom, 6. Mitchel Moles, 7. Bryar Schroeter, 8. Scott Hampton, 9. Jack Hoyer, 10. Chase Stockon. 2:10.14

ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Brent Beauchamp, 2. Justin Grant, 3. Brady Bacon, 4. Logan Seavey, 5. Brandon Mattox, 6. Frankie Guerrini, 7. Gabriel Gilbert, 8. Hunter Maddox, 9. Trey Osborne, 10. Devan Myers. 2:11.70

T.J. FORGED / CAR IQ THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, top-5 transfer to the feature) 1. Jadon Rogers, 2. Robert Ballou, 3. Kyle Cummins, 4. Carson Garrett, 5. Kody Swanson, 6. Thomas Meseraull, 7. Daison Pursley, 8. Chance Crum, 9. John Sluss. 2:11.46

ELLIOTT’S CUSTOM TRAILERS & CARTS SEMI: (12 laps, top-7 transfer to the feature) 1. Mitchel Moles, 2.  Daison Pursley, 3. Thomas Meseraull, 4. Chase Stockon, 5. Trey Osborne, 6. Chance Crum, 7. Jack Hoyer, 8. Frankie Guerrini, 9. Hunter Maddox, 10. Bryar Schroeter, 11. John Sluss, 12. Gabriel Gilbert, 13. Devan Myers, 14. Scott Hampton. NT

FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Logan Seavey (2), 2. Shane Cottle (6), 3. Robert Ballou (14), 4. Kyle Cummins (4), 5. Brady Bacon (11), 6. Matt Westfall (7), 7. Justin Grant (5), 8. Mitchel Moles (15), 9. Emerson Axsom (19), 10. C.J. Leary (3), 11. Thomas Meseraull (20), 12. Brent Beauchamp (9), 13. Chance Crum (22), 14. Jake Swanson (10), 15. Daison Pursley (12), 16. Chase Stockon (17), 17. Brandon Mattox (16), 18. Jack Hoyer (21), 19. Kody Swanson (18), 20. Trey Osborne (13), 21. Jadon Rogers (8), 22. Carson Garrett (1). NT

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-6 Carson Garrett, Laps 7-18 Logan Seavey, Laps 19-29 Shane Cottle, Lap 30 Logan Seavey.

**Scott Hampton flipped during the semi.

USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: 1-Justin Grant-2043, 2-Brady Bacon-2034, 3-Kyle Cummins-1916, 4-Emerson Axsom-1911, 5-Jake Swanson-1876, 6-C.J. Leary-1803, 7-Robert Ballou-1721, 8-Chase Stockon-1583, 9-Mitchel Moles-1544, 10-Logan Seavey-1494.

OVERALL USAC NATIONAL PROSOURCE PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Daison Pursley-170, 2-Emerson Axsom-108, 3-Logan Seavey-106, 4-Shane Cottle-106, 5-Robert Ballou-98, 6-Justin Grant-95, 7-Brady Bacon-91, 8-Matt Westfall-91, 9-Chase Stockon-77, 10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-63.

NEXT USAC AMSOIL SPRINT CAR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: September 16, 2023 – Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt, Indiana – 1/4-Mile Dirt Track – 16th Haubstadt Hustler – Co-Sanctioned by the Midwest Sprint Car Series

CONTINGENCY AWARD WINNERS:

Dirt Draft Fastest Hot Laps Driver: Brady Bacon (12.351)

Honest Abe Roofing Fast Qualifier: Shane Cottle (12.133)

Simpson Race Products First Heat Winner: Matt Westfall

Rod End Supply Second Heat Winner: Brent Beauchamp

T.J. Forged / Car IQ Third Heat Winner: Jadon Rogers

Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts Semi Winner: Mitchel Moles

Kenny Baldwin Hard Work Award: Chance Crum

Green APU Green Flag Challenge First Lap Leader: Carson Garrett

Hard Charger: Robert Ballou (14th to 3rd)

USAC PR

T.P. Trailer Modifieds were on hand for practice rounds to prepare for the Saturday Freedom 76, with 58 cars taking part in the practice session.

Grandview Speedway will be presenting the biggest race event of the season, the 53^rd annual Freedom 76 for the T.P. Trailer Modifieds on Saturday night starting at 7 pm.

On Saturday, September 16, the Freedom 76-lap championship will be run for the 358 Modifieds. The program will include qualifying heats, consolation races, Low Down and Dirty cash dash, along with the Schaeffer Racing Minuteman 20 leading to the 76-lap championship feature.

Pit gates open at 9 am for inspections, fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am. and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets, grandstand ticket windows open at 3 pm. pill draw for position is at 4:30 pm. with the drivers meeting at 5 pm. warm-ups are at 6 pm. with racing starting at 7 pm.

Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, while students ages 10-15 with ID are $20, with children ages 9 and under admitted for free. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 23.

Prior to the racing on Saturday, SDS Photography will be hosting an autograph session featuring drivers Logan Watt, Kaitlyn Bailey, Adrianna Delliponti, and Molly Struss from 3 pm. until 4 pm. at the SDS photo booth in the grandstand area.

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 October, 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.

T.P. TRUCK EQUIPMENT SPORTSMAN FREEDOM 38 FEATURE FINISH (38 laps): BRIAN HIRTHLER, Joe Toth, Dylan Swinehart, Jordan Henn, Kyle Smith, Addison Meitzler, Logan Watt, Logan Bauman, Cody Manmiller, Jesse Landis, Jesse Hirthler, Mike Schneck Jr., Brandon Edgar, Brad Arnold, Jason Hamilton, Adrianna Delliponti, Nathan Horn, Decker Swinehart, Mark Mohr, Zane Roth, Steve Kemery, Steve Young, Parker Guldin, Keith Haring, Brad Grim, Dakota Kohler, Mark Gaugler, TJ Mayberry

DID NOT QUALIFY: Michael Burrows, Tyler James, Nicholas Hamm, Brett Gilmore, Grant Hilfiger, Bryce Bashore, Brad Force, Xavier Sprague, Molly Struss, Bob Lineman Jr., Tyler Vidal, Jax Yohn, Danny Buccafusca, Kevin Olenick, Joey Vaccaro, Kaitlyn Bailey, Dirk Rimrott, Zach Steffey, Brad Brightbill, Bastian Miller, Talan Carter, Nick Faust, Bryan Rhoads, Colton Perry, Tom Miller Jr., Shon Elk, John Redner, Kenny Bock, Ryan Graver, Dallas Breidenbach, Ethan Bill, Rob Tete, Ronnie Solomon

HEAT WINNERS: Dylan Swinehart, Brad Grim, Brad Arnold, Zane Roth, Dakota Kohler, Logan Bauman

CONSI WINNERS: Kyle Smith, Jesse Hirthler, Decker Swinehart

FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS – LISA’S LANDSCAPING - $500 – Brian Hirthler

FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS NASCAR ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WEEEKLY SERIES - $500 – Brian Hirthler

FEATURE WINNER’S BONUS NASCAR ADVANCE AUTO PARTS WEEEKLY SERIES (IF TRACK REGULAR) - $500 – Brian Hirthler

BOB HILBERT SPORTSWEAR CUSTOM WINNER’S JACKET – Brian Hirthler

DEREKA MAE DESIGNS HARD CHARGER - $100 – Kyle Smith +15

COMPETITION CARBURETION FASTEST LAP OF FEATURE CERTIFICATE - $100 – Jordan Henn - .15.431

UPCOMING EVENTS –

Saturday, September 16 – 53rd annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CLASSIC – T.P. Trailer Modifieds 76 laps – 7 pm

Saturday, September 23 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 7 pm (Rain date for Freedom 76)

Friday, October 13 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Linda’s Speedway Chargers – 7 pm.

Saturday, October 14 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage, Xcel 600 Modifieds – 5 pm.

Grandview Speedway PR

11th

21st

8th

33rd

26th

4th

RCR PR