Set for his second ARCA Menards Series start of the 2021 season, CR7 Motorsports’ Jason Kitzmiller returns to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Saturday’s General Tire 200 hoping to deliver his fourth career top-10 finish.

Kitzmiller will eye his ninth career series start to improve on his respectable 11th place finish in the season-opening Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway – a race that carried the leadership of former ARCA Menards Series driver Codie Rohrbaugh.

With his No. 97 A.L.L. Construction Chevrolet SS all shined up and ready to go, Kitzmiller is ready to return to the 2.66-mile superspeedway and improve on his eighth-place finish last June.

“I can’t believe it has been almost a year since I made my ARCA debut at Talladega,” said Kitzmiller. “I’ve learned a lot about superspeedway racing in a short amount of time. We didn’t have the luck at Daytona last February, but the last two races of Talladega last June and Daytona in February, we’ve been able to complete 100 percent of the laps and be around for the finish.

“This year though, I’d like to leave Talladega with a top-five finish in the books.”

To help Kitzmiller improve his craft, he is relying on the guidance of spotter and former NASCAR Xfinity Series winner Tim Fedewa who will help guide Kitzmiller in the roaring pack at nearly 200 miles per hour.

“Timmy has taught me a lot,” added Kitzmiller. “It’s almost like he’s in the passenger seat with me. He has helped me a lot with side drafting and being able to work from the back to the front of the pack and he is going to be just as important on Saturday as he has been for any other ARCA start.

“I would not trade him for the world.”

Not competing for points and racing for wins, the laid-back approach has seemed to work for Kitzmiller, Rohrbaugh and his Todd Myers-led team – but once the headsets go on and Kitzmiller straps behind the wheel of his race car, business becomes the priority.

“We don’t necessarily have a strategy at this point, we’ll just see how the race unfolds,” added Kitzmiller. “It just depends on how those opening laps unfold. If we’re in a position to stay near the front, we’ll stay there. If it looks a little dicey, we might hang back a little. We just have to wait and see how it all flows.”

Kitzmiller and CR7 Motorsports will run a partial ARCA schedule in 2021 with a firm schedule announced soon.

Kitzmiller will also continue to adorn a decal remembering CR7 Motorsports general manager Mark Huff who passed away last week after a brief illness. Huff was responsible for helping revive the ARCA Menards Series team in 2020.

“I will always Mark for his carrying of people on this CR7 Motorsports team and his enormous work ethic. He did a lot for the team and is irreplaceable. We will race to win in his honor on Saturday afternoon.”

Marketing partnership(s) opportunities are available for the No. 97 A.L.L. Construction Chevrolet and No. 9 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet for the 2021 ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series seasons and beyond. Interested inquiries are encouraged to contact at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 304.257.8783.

The General Tire 200 (76 laps | 202.16 miles) is the third of 20 races on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Sat., Apr. 24 with a half-hour practice session from 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. The race is set to take the green flag shortly after 12:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (CT).

CR7 Motorsports PR

DIRTcar UMP Modified competition is receiving a big upgrade in 2021 with the formation of an 11th region.

Several new tracks will be holding weekly and special event competition under the DIRTcar banner this year, forcing a reorganization of some existing Modified regions as well as the spawning of the all-new Appalachia Region.

The Appalachia Region consists of several tracks found in the 2020 East Region and the addition of the recently revived West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, WV, which is scheduled to host two Renegades of Dirt/Dirt Cup Challenge races in August. Winchester Speedway and Wythe Raceway also join the region as special event hosts.

Many of DIRTcar’s newest weekly Modified racing venues make up the revamped East Region, including Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex, Eriez Speedway, Raceway 7 and Stateline Speedway. Greater Cumblerland Speedway, Hesston Speedway, Hummingbird Speedway, Sharon Speedway and Thunder Mountain Speedway also join DIRTcar as special event tracks in the new East Region.

The Michigan Region stays at a strong 11 tracks this year with the addition of special event action at Tri City Motor Speedway in Auburn.

UMP Modified racing in Indiana has been split into two main regions again this year, but with some changes from 2020. The new Indiana Region is comprised of each track found in the former Southern Indiana/Kentucky Region (except Tri-State) with the addition of the brand-new Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis and Thunder Valley Speedway in Salem.

The new Ohio/Indiana Region will house the second main group of Indiana circuits that made up the former Northern Indiana Region last year. They will combine with Daugherty Speedway, Eldora Speedway, Limaland Motorsports Park, Millstream Speedway and Oakshade Raceway to make up the 10-track group.

The Missouri/Illinois Region stays largely the same with the addition of Quincy Raceways and St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, MO.

The Northern Illinois Region stands as the only region on the list not undergoing any changes for 2021. All eight tracks are returning for weekly/special Modified competition.

Four returning tracks will make up the South Region this year and join two newcomers in the Bluegrass State – Mountain Motor Speedway, hosting three Renegades of Dirt races, and Western Kentucky Speedway. Haubstadt, IN’s Tri-State Speedway will call the South Region home as the Southern-most Indiana track under the DIRTcar banner.

The Deep South Region has expanded to 11 tracks and now includes special events at All-Tech Raceway in Florida and Friendship Motor Speedway and Halifax County Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

The Ohio Region sees a significant restructuring for 2021 with the addition of Hilltop Speedway, Muskingum County Raceway and Wayne County Speedway.

Last but not least, the Illinois Region comes in as the smallest group on the list, with four returning tracks from 2020 and the addition of special events at Champaign County Speedway.

The top-10 in each Modified region’s points standings at season’s end will receive a points fund check according to the scale below. The national champion will collect the traditional $20,000 check.

1st – $2,000
2nd – $1,000
3rd – $800
4th – $500
5th – $300
6th – $200
7th – $150
8th – $135
9th – $125
10th – $100

Several updates have also been made to each of the other five regional divisions under the DIRTcar banner. Follow the links below to view the current regions for each division.

UMP MODIFIED

LATE MODEL

PRO LATE MODEL

STOCK CAR

UMP SPORTSMAN

SPORT COMPACT

DIRTcar Series PR

New for the 2021 season Stafford Speedway has established a point fund for all 5 weekly divisions totaling $33,000 in awards. The top-10 finishers in each division will receive a payout at the end of the 2021 season with the top-15 finishers in the SK Modifieds® receiving a payout including $5,000 to the champion. Full Story

FloRacing Bonus - Stafford Speedway’s weekly live stream has moved to FloRacing for the 2021 season. With the move FloRacing has posted $40,000 in bonus awards for the 5 Stafford weekly divisions. Each division will have 4 events throughout the season in which the FloRacing bonus is available, starting Saturday with $250 going to each of the top 10 finishers in the Late Model feature. Full Story

Maybury Material Handling - For the 6th consecutive season Maybury Material Handling will provide a $150 weekly bonus to the winner of the SK Modified® feature and a $125 bonus to the winner of the SK Light Modified feature. Full Story

TickMike.com - New for 2021 TickMike.com has partnered with Stafford Speedway for the SK Modified® All-Star Showdown to run alongside the SRX series June 12th. In addition, TickMike.com has posted a $150 weekly bonus for the winner of the SK Modified® feature. Full Story

GRE6.com - Gaston Racing Enterprises (gre6.com) has posted weekly bonus awards for the runner-up in the SK Light Modified, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions paying $100, $75, and $50 respectively. Full Story

North American Motor Car - A new partner in 2021, North American Motor Car will be the official sponsor of the August 13th Senator’s Cup, a 50 lap SK Modified® event, and have also posted a weekly $100 bonus to the SK Modified® 3rd place finisher. Full Story

RAD Auto Machine - Long-time Stafford Speedway partner RAD Auto Machine has continued their support of the SK Light Modified, Limited Late Model, and Street Stock divisions, sponsoring the 2021 Rookie of the Year program along with posting a $125 weekly bonus for the winner of the Limited Late Model feature. Full Story

New England Race Fuel - The official fuel supplier of all Stafford Speedway weekly divisions, New England Race Fuels Sunoco Brand will continue to award the top-3 finishers and highest finishing rookie with a $25 fuel certificate at every event. For more information about New England Race Fuel, please visit www.nerfinc.com.

NAPA Auto Parts - Synonymous with Stafford Speedway and iconic events such as the NAPA Spring Sizzler and NAPA SK 5K, NAPA Auto Parts will also sponsor the Rookie of the Year program in both the SK Modified® and Late Model division in 2021. Full Story

Paradiso Insurance - Another new partner to join the Stafford Speedway family in 2021, Paradiso Insurance will sponsor the Late Model 50 event scheduled for September 3rd and will also award the 3rd place finisher of each week’s Late Model feature with a $75 bonus. Full Story

Broad Brook Brewing - Along with producing Stafford Speedway’s new signature beer, Double Hooked Lager, available at the track and in surrounding stores, Broad Brook Brewing will award the winner of each week’s 30 lap Late Model feature with a $125 bonus. Full Story

Manley Performance Products - For the 2nd consecutive season Manley Performance Products will award a $100 bonus to the runner-up in both the SK Modified and Late Model features each week. Full Story

Northeast Race Cars - A new partner for the 2021 season, Northeast Races cars will award the winner of each week’s SK Modified feature a $150 bonus. Full Story

iRacing - The leader in online racing returns to Stafford Speedway’s contingency program posting a $125 bonus for the winner of each Friday’s Late Model division. Visit iRacing.com for more information.

Olson Apartments - For the 6th consecutive season, Olson Apartments will provide a $75 bonus to the 3rd place finisher in the SK Light Modified feature each week. Full Story

Bakers Wood Shop - After joining Stafford’s contingency program part way through the 2020 season, Baker’s Wood Shop returns in 2021 and will post a $75 bonus for the 3rd place finisher in each week's 20 lap Limited Late Model feature. For more information, please visit bakerswoodshop.net.

Speedway Meadows Driving Range - Another new partner for the 2021 season is the driving range located in the Stafford Speedway parking lot. The Speedway Meadows Driving Range will post a $75 bonus for the winner of each week's Street Stock feature. For more information, please visit the Speedway Meadows page on Facebook.

For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.

Stafford Speedway PR

NTT IndyCar Series PR

NASCAR drivers taking the wheel behind a Ford have something to lean on going into Sunday’s (April 25) GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (1 p.m. CDT, FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). If a Ford Mustang can make its way to Victory Lane, it will give the manufacturer its 10^th victory in the last dozen races in NASCAR’s premier series at Talladega Superspeedway.

Dating back to the fall of 2015, seven of those nine Cup Series Ford victories at the 2.66-mile venue have seen wins by Team Penske’s Joey Logano (3), Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney (2), who is the defending champion of the GEICO 500. The other two consisted of Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who also claimed his first career win in the 2017 GEICO 500, and Aric Almirola in the fall of 2018. Seven of the nine Ford triumphs came consecutively, from fall of 2015 through fall of 2018.

“It is such a special place,” said Keselowski, who claimed his first career victory at Talladega in 2009, along other triumph in 2012 and 2014 for a handful of wins. “It’s hard to believe we have won here five times. I feel lucky that I have had a team and car in Team Penske that is capable of winning here. You have to have luck and then be able to execute at the end. If you can make it to the end with good fortune and not have anything break, you have to take those races and run up and win them. You get a good hand dealt to you, then you have to play the cards right. We have been able to do that.

“There’s pain and privilege here at Talladega. You can have two cars running side-by-side then have someone sneak inside of you, and the next thing you know, you are running three- and four-wide. You have to be focused all race long, especially at the end when it’s all on the line.”

One Ford that we know will lead the pack Sunday is the Mustang Mach-E, Ford’s dynamic all-electric SUV, which will be making its NASCAR debut when it serves as pace vehicle for the GEICO 500.

This will mark the second time Ford has had an all-electric vehicle pace a NASCAR event.  The first time came in 2012 when the manufacturer made NASCAR history by having its Focus electric perform all pace car duties for the Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

As far as the actual stock cars, over the years, there have been some momentous occasions for Ford at the 33-degree banked venue, including the following:

• 1975 – Buddy Baker was the first driver to start on the pole at Talladega in a Ford.
• 1975 – Baker made it a Talladega sweep in 1975, and then came back to win in spring of ’76 to make it three straight while driving for NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Bud Moore.
• 1979 - The largest margin of a victory – a lap and 50 seconds - at Talladega came in the No. 15 Ford driven by Bobby Allison.
• 1983 – Dale Earnhardt actually won his first of 10 races at Talladega in Moore’s No. 15 Ford, edging Darrell Waltrip.
• 1985 – Bill Elliott came back from nearly two laps down to win in the spring of that year, and then followed up two years later with another TSS victory. Beginning in ’85, Elliott reeled off six consecutive pole positions.
• 1987 - Davey Allison’s first NASCAR career win and first of three TSS triumphs came in his rookie season.
• 1987 – Elliott becomes the fastest man in NASCAR with the official qualifying record of 212.809 mph.
• 1997 – Mark Martin won in record fashion with a NASCAR race record speed of 188.354 mph.
• 1998 – Dale Jarrett held off Jeff Gordon to claim his first of two Talladega triumphs.
• 2013 – David Ragan surprises the racing world by taking his independent No. 34 Front Row Motorsports to the victory.
• 2015 – Logano wins to begin a seven-race win streak for Ford and ends in fall of 2018 with Almirola’s victory.
• 2020 – After edging Ryan Newman by .007 second in the fall of 2019, Ryan Blaney came back in the track’s next race and won by the same margin of victory, this time over Stenhouse, and a spinning Almirola, who came across the line backwards to finish third.

Limited admission options remain for the GEICO 500 and fans are encouraged to log onto www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA for details. Tickets are available for Saturday’s doubleheader, featuring the Ag-Pro 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series (3 pm CDT) and the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Menards Series (12 Noon CDT), with kids 12 and younger admitted free (with a paying adult) to grandstands/towers.

To learn more about the spring NASCAR event weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and its safety protocols, visit https://www.talladegasuperspeedway.com/fan-guide/.  Fans are encouraged to keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

TSS PR

Having built its NTT INDYCAR Series program in lockstep with team sponsors since debuting in the 2017 Indianapolis 500, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) is looking forward to its first two-car attack at the great race in 2021. 

The Ohio-based team is pleased to announce that AutoNation and SiriusXM have signed on as co-title sponsors on the No. 06 Honda-powered Dallara set to be piloted by three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves for the 105th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

AutoNation will also serve as primary sponsor on Castroneves’ No. 06 Indy Car for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach in September. SiriusXM will be the sole sponsor of Castroneves’ No. 06 Indy Car for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course race on August 14 and the Grand Prix of Portland on September 12. 

The growth of the program reflects the continued commitment that AutoNation and SiriusXM have demonstrated with MSR since first joining the effort to support the team’s debut outing with driver Jack Harvey. 

For three years, the two companies have combined for an unforgettable livery for Harvey that showcases the SiriusXM and AutoNation brands for race fans and also highlights AutoNation’s effort to support cancer research via the DRV PNK campaign.

Castroneves’ No. 06 Indy Car will carry AutoNation’s DRV PNK branding and signature pink color to raise awareness for AutoNation’s commitment to finding a cure for cancer, with the program having raised over $26 million to drive out cancer to date.

“We’re very excited to have AutoNation and SiriusXM join us on our second entry for the 500,” said Mike Shank. “Both AutoNation and SiriusXM have been an integral part in helping this team grow and we are so thankful that year-after-year, they continue to show their support.  There is a lot of excitement about the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach being the finale this year, and AutoNation is a great fit for that event as well, so we could not be more pleased to make this announcement.”

“MSR and SiriusXM have been great teammates, and continue to grow together,” said Marc Cannon, AutoNation Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer. “We can’t wait to take our partnership to the next level with Helio and have him serve as a brand ambassador for our DRV PNK campaign.”

”We’re excited to be expanding on our relationship with the Meyer Shank Racing team in 2021,” said Richard Beatty, SiriusXM’s Chief Subscription Revenue Officer. “For the biggest race on the IndyCar calendar, SiriusXM will be showcased on two cars in the field - the No. 60 of Jack Harvey and the No. 06 of Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indy 500 winner. Our subscribers know the value of having SiriusXM along for the ride, and that’s true whether you’re going over 200 mph at Indianapolis Motor Speedway or on your everyday drives around town.”

SiriusXM’s sponsorship of the No. 06 Indy Car at the Indianapolis 500 will correspond with the company’s next free listening period. From May 26 through June 8, any non-subscriber in the United States can tune in to sample SiriusXM seamlessly, with no credit card required, on all inactive SiriusXM radios and on the SiriusXM app. 

MSR PR

FRM PR

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Illinois doubleheader originally scheduled Friday, April 23rd at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, and Macon Speedway on Saturday, April 24th has been canceled due to weather.

With heavy rain overnight and the forecast for rain and cold temperatures throughout the weekend, track and series officials have mutually agreed to cancel this weekend’s events. The events will not be made up.

“We’ve been in constant communication with both venues all week continuously evaluating the situation. Unfortunately, the forecast just isn’t in our favor this weekend,” said Series Director Rick Schwallie. “These decisions are never easy, and we hate to cancel any event, but we all feel this is in the best interest of all parties. We look forward to returning to Tri-City Speedway in July and Macon Speedway in 2022.”

Next up, the series will visit Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on April 30th for the 17th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial and Florence Speedway in Union, KY on May 1st for the 35th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial. The events will pay $12,000 and $15,000 to win, respectively.

Tim McCreadie currently leads the series point standings, carrying the Midwest Sheet Metal orange spoiler. Previous point leader, Hudson O’Neal remains just 40 points out of the lead, followed by Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, and Kyle Bronson rounding out the top five.

The next event for Macon Speedway will be on Saturday, May 1 as the second CEFCU Kids Club Night will be held. Seven divisions will be in action, including Decatur Building Trades Pro Late Models, BillingsleyRewards.com Modifieds, Pro Mods, Archers Alley Street Stocks, Weddle Performance Engines Sportsman, Hornets, and Micros By Bailey Chassis.

For more information on Macon Speedway, visit www.maconracing.com.

Macon Speedway PR

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series and FEED Racing – the academy founded by Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Lemarie – announced today a partnership to create the first EuroNASCAR racing school in France to provide new exceptional opportunities to become a NASCAR driver thru the FEED Racing EuroNASCAR Challenge. 

The brand new program will welcome drivers aged 16 and over to test a EuroNASCAR car during a three-day session in Magny-Cours, France under the guidance of the two FEED Racing founders and EuroNASCAR PRO drivers: Jacques Villeneuve, 1997 Formula 1 champion, Indycar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner and Patrick Lemarié, European endurance champion, test and development driver in F1 for four years and IndyCar driver.

The first stage of the course will welcome 15 drivers and will take place on August 4-5-6, 2021. The best 6 drivers will qualify for the final, which will take place in September 2021. At the end of the selection process, the winning driver will be offered a free full season in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for 2022.

Featuring one of the most versatile race cars in the world, EuroNASCAR is reaffirming with this partnership the formative value of its 400hp, 1200Kg car, which provides Pure Racing and fun for all kinds of drivers on the most diverse tracks and surfaces.

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season is made of seven events – each one featuring four sprint races – at some of the most iconic road courses in Europe. When the 2021 NWES campaign starts on May 15-16 in Spain at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, both Jacques Villeneuve and Patrick Lemarié will chase the EuroNASCAR PRO title, while 19-year-old Simon Pilate, the first driver to come from the Feed Racing academy to the NWES grid in 2020, will compete in the EuroNASCAR 2 championship. 

QUOTES

Jerome Galpin, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series President / CEO - “The EuroNASCAR car is probably the car providing the best ratio between performances, costs and fun to every kind of driver of every age! Over the years they demonstrated to be the perfect tool to develop drivers’ skills! This is why we are very happy to open a new dimension for our EuroNASCAR cars and build this first Racing School program.”

Jacques Villeneuve - “Since the launch of FEED Racing and the F4 program, we realized that many drivers over 21 years old are also eager to get a chance. In collaboration with EuroNASCAR and Jérôme GALPIN’s teams, we thought that there was room to offer an opportunity for the largest number. EuroNASCAR is the ideal platform for those who otherwise could not hope to drive such a car, and who knows, to win a full season. I’ve been enjoying myself so much since 2019 in this championship. It’s an amazing chance for all those who want to express their talent, to take part in very close races, against a fierce competition.”

Patrick Lemarie - “EuroNASCAR is what we call Pure Racing. It’s everything we love about driving. It gives you the opportunity to relive the sensations that tend to disappear nowadays in motorsport.  Driving a EuroNascar is  brutal and very demanding. We take a maximum of pleasure out there. This Challenge is quite different because there is no age limit. It can concern young drivers over 16 years old who would like to have access to a professional championship in order to get noticed but also older drivers who already have experience in other categories and would like to relaunch their career, those who do not have the budget to complete a season or gentlemen drivers who would like to drive something different than a GT car.“

NWES PR