The 2024 Indoor Auto Racing season is just one month in the rear view mirror, but plans for the 2025 are already underway, with dates confirmed for events in Allentown, PA, Atlantic City, NJ and Trenton, NJ.
Each venue from the 2024 schedule will return in 2025 with events on their traditional weekends. The concrete series will start inside Allentown’s PPL Center for a ninth year on January 3 and 4.
The Len Sammons Production series will then visit Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall for a 23rd time on January 31 and February 1. This season will conclude in Trenton, NJ’s CURE Insurance Arena on February 21 and 22 for the 6th East Coast Dirt Nationals.
“The action and racing on the Indoor Series this season was truly amazing” stated series promoter Len Sammons. “Starting in Allentown with a TQ Midget feature for the ages featuring multiple lead changes and ending in Trenton with drivers using every inch of the clay racing surface the 2024 season may have been our best yet!”
Capping off a busy month of January, will be the Len Sammons promoted 39th annual Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2025 show, January 24 and 25 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
Serving as the traditional start of the northeast racing season, the PPL Center in Allentown, PA will again host the Indoor Auto Racing Series opener. The Ironton Global Allentown Indoor Races will feature a three division show with main events for the TQ Midgets both days. They’ll be joined in competition by the Slingshots and Champ Karts.
Young Tanner VanDoren of Schnecksville, PA made his introduction to the Indoor Series in a big way with a surprise victory in Friday night’s Allentown opener in 2024. Series veteran Ryan Flores of Huntersville, N.C. returned to victory lane on Saturday for his record sixth victory inside the PPL Center.
The concrete series then heads to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ for the 23rd running of the NAPA Auto Parts Atlantic City Race Weekend. The BlackJack 21 for TQ Midgets which debuted with strong fan and racer support in 2024, will return as the main event on Friday night. On Saturday night the TQ Midgets stars will compete in the historic Gambler’s Classic, plus the Slingshots and Champ Karts will run their main events.
Playing his cards perfectly, Flores raced to the inaugural BlackJack 21 victory on Friday night. On Saturday night, Flores was less than 100ft from a weekend sweep before contact with VanDoren sent him spinning off turn four and VanDoren to the Cool Down Zone.
The benefactor was Andy Jankowiak of Tonawanda, N.Y. who inherited the lead and held off all challengers in a green white checkered finish to score his record tying fourth Gambler’s Classic trophy.
The only “dirt” event on the schedule will wrap up the season, at the CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ for the BELFOR East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals on February 21 and 22. This event features the wingless 600 Sprints on the highly acclaimed bank dirt oval.
Dirt Modified standout Anthony Perrego of Montgomery, N.Y. raced to the fifth BELFOR Property Restoratiion East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals crown thanks to a late race charge. Perrego, utilized the low line to his advantage while Briggs Danner, Steven Snyder and others exchanged slide jobs on the cushion racing for the lead around the outside of the track the majority of the race.
Tickets for all the Indoor Auto Racing events will go on sale after Labor Day, starting with special pre-sale opportunities.
Go to the series web-site, indoorautoracing.com, for the most up to date series information, ticket release dates plus links to purchases tickets and get special discount room rates at host hotels where the racers stay.
Event and series sponsorship opportunities are available by contact series organizer, Danny Sammons by emailing him at indoorracing@aarn.com or by phone at 609-888-3618
IndyCar launched a Million Dollar Challenge at Thermal Club, which raised eyebrows. Despite most IndyCar fans entering the race with an open mind, their concerns were justified. The “All-Star” experiment was a huge flop.
The IndyCar Thermal Club Million Dollar Challenge is the latest in a string of public relations blunders for the premier American open-wheel racing series. From a lack of adequate marketing to the difficult introduction of a new hybrid engine. The Thermal Club All-Star race was a self-inflicted injury that may have been prevented. It made the entire series appear awful.
The track demonstrated its worth over the four test sessions. A circuit with long straights and smooth flowing bends is ideal for testing. The teams gathered a wealth of valuable data for the remainder of the road course season. Unfortunately, that is the only positive thing IndyCar can take from this weekend. Hosting an event in a gated enclave with few to no fans in attendance will not propel the series into the spotlight as they believe. Instead, make it feel like a “All-Star” weekend. The Million Dollar Challenge appeared to be more of an exclusive theme party for the local community. Some backyard enjoyment while the drivers were made to appear stupid on international television.
The Racing Format
I don’t see why anyone thought this format was a good idea. If you want to hold an IndyCar All-Star race with many heats, that’s fine, but provide the drivers the resources to compete. The grand finale, in particular, proved problematic. Limiting the drivers to a single set of tires for 20 laps, when many already battled with 10 laps, was a prescription for catastrophe. Rather than watching the top IndyCar drivers compete for huge money, we saw 12 drivers take it slow to conserve tires. The NBC crew theorized all weekend that teams would adopt this technique, and it actually occurred. Not to mention the terrible halftime break after ten laps. Which was also called too late.
While the broadcast is normally one of the highlights of an IndyCar weekend, this time it sent the wrong message. Nearly every 10 minutes they had to mention how great and how welcoming Thermal Club is. Fully aware that it’s a highly exclusive club that almost no one will get access to. It’s normal to do it once or twice, but the excessive expression of gratitude became comical. Certainly when the crew got a tour of a garage full of multi-million dollar supercars. Everything about the event screamed wealth and success, which is ironic since IndyCar lately has screamed anything but wealth and success. Even at the event dubbed the “Million Dollar Challenge” the winner “only” got $500.000.
2024 has not been great yet for IndyCar fans. Perhaps the series bring back a positive feeling in a few weeks’ time when IndyCar visits the legendary streets of Long Beach.
The newest installment of Legends of Racing, a series of documentaries highlighting the sagas of auto racing’s greatest drivers and personalities, will premiere in April of 2024.
The FloSports Studios original, in association with the United States Auto Club (USAC), spotlights the life and times of Mel Kenyon and Rich Vogler, who rank first and second all-time in USAC National Midget career victories.
The film documents the depths of each drivers’ impact on motorsports, their rise to becoming legends of the sport, the triumph and tragedy they’ve endured, as well as their lasting legacies that have had a positive impact on so many individuals over the decades.
A screening of the film will take place on Tuesday, April 23, at the Kan-Kan Cinema, located at 1258 Windsor St, Indianapolis, IN 46201. The film’s full release will be made available exclusively on FloRacing on Wednesday, April 24.
Mel Kenyon’s record in the sport is unmatched and incomparable. His 111 career USAC National Midget feature wins remain as one of the most untouchable highwater marks in the sport. Originally hailing from Davenport, Iowa, but later making his home in Lebanon, Ind., Kenyon captured seven career USAC National Midget driving championships, spanning an incredible 21 years in 1964-67-68-74-77-81-85. Teamed for the high majority of his career with his brother, fellow USAC Hall of Famer Don Kenyon, serving as his car owner and crew chief, “Miraculous Mel” won at least one USAC National Midget event for 21 consecutive seasons between 1962-82.
Most notably, Kenyon achieved the majority of his accomplishments after a fiery crash USAC National Championship crash at Pennsylvania’s Langhorne Speedway in 1965, which burned off the fingers on his left hand. Undaunted, the Kenyons designed a one-of-a-kind glove with a rubber gromet sewn into the palm, which fit over a stud on the steering wheel and allowed Mel to steer with the palm of his left hand.
Kenyon was also successful in the USAC champ cars, making eight Indianapolis 500 starts, and finished inside the top-five in half of them with a best result of third in 1968. He hung up the helmet for the last time in 2009 after more than a half-century of midget racing, accumulating an astonishing 925 USAC National Midget starts, 419 of which he finished inside the top-five. He and Don Kenyon constructed several midget chassis, and from 2004-09, their Kenyon Car Midget Series was sanctioned by USAC.
Rich Vogler was the winner of an all-time record 171 USAC feature events during his meteoric 20-year racing career with the United States Auto Club between 1971-1990. The son of two-time USAC National Midget winner Don Vogler, Rich’s run of five USAC National Midget series titles began in 1978 with car owner Doug Caruthers. During a late May/early June stretch that same season, Vogler reeled off a series record five consecutive feature wins. Subsequent USAC National Midget crowns arrived in 1980 and again in 1983 with Jim Streicher. He captured his final two series championship in 1986 and 1988 for car owner Jonathan Byrd. Furthermore, he was dominant in USAC Regional Midget competition at the Indianapolis Speedrome, taking the brass ring in 1985 for Bob Lowe.
Vogler’s extensive USAC accomplishments include championships in the National Sprint Car Series with car owner Don Siebert in 1980 and again in 1989 with the Hoffman Auto Racing/Dynamics, Inc. team. In all, the Glen Ellyn, Illinois native scored 134 National feature wins (4 in Silver Crown, 35 in Sprints and 95 in Midgets).
In five career Indianapolis 500 starts, his best finish was an eight in 1989. Fittingly, Vogler won the last race he ever started, scoring the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial at Salem (Ind.) Speedway on July 21, 1990, just five days prior to his 40th birthday. He was leading while on his way to taking the white flag when he was fatally injured during a turn four accident. The race reverted to the last completed lap in which Vogler was declared the winner. Vogler is also a member of the National Sprint Car and Midget Halls of Fame and is also an inductee of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) has announced the launch of the NJMP Mini Sprint Series – five weekends of practice and racing at NJMP’s Tempest Raceway facility, created to provide a competitive and fun racing program for riders aged 5-17 years old.
“The strong interest among riders and their families was clear when an organization that ran youth races on the east coast announced their 2024 schedule without a sprint racing program,” said Brad Scott, President and COO of NJMP. “Riders and their families reached out to us, expressing their concerns, and seeking a sprint race series for young people to develop their skills and passion for the sport.”
The NJMP Mini Sprint Series will include five classes of racing including stock and Ohvale bikes of various displacements, with the option to run multiple classes.
The format consists of a Saturday practice day with six 15-minute sessions for each of the five classes, followed by a Sunday race day with each class having morning practice, two qualifying sessions, two races, and of course podium celebrations to end the day!
“These will be professionally run events,” commented Charity Giovanelli, Director of NJMP’s Riders Club and Two-Wheel Event Operations. “From Tech Inspection to on-track operations and the racing rules, our young riders will have the same high-quality experience that we offer across all of our motorcycle events here at NJMP.”
Glenn Jazikoff has been named as Race Director for the NJMP Mini Sprint Series. Glenn is an experienced rider and coach at NJMP, and the parent of a young aspiring racer. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help grow youth road racing, and I am looking forward to a great season,” Glenn commented.
“We had to act quickly to fill a gap and respond to our customers’ needs,” added Scott. “We believe the resulting NJMP Mini Sprint Series will become a staple in the regional racing scene and provide a fantastic venue for young riders up and down the east coast.”
The series schedule consists of four events on Tempest Raceway’s Liberator circuit: April 20-21, May 18-19, June 15-16, and July 13-14. The season series finale will take place on Tempest’s full 1.1-mile track on September 28-29.
Registration is required and is available on Motorsportreg.com, where full information about the classes, rules, and event schedules can be found.
Interested participants can contact Race Director Glenn Jazikoff at Minisprintseries@gmail.com for more information in preparation for the events.
It’s no secret most race fans are huge pet lovers. So it made perfect sense for Direct Action Co., Inc., - otherwise known as dac® – to step up and have their dac@ Pet Products line become the presenting marketing partner of the 36 Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic set for Tuesday, July 16 at Attica Raceway Park featuring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
“It Makes a World of Difference.” That is what dac® adheres to with all their products that help pets, horses and other livestock. It’s that same commitment that dac’s® Pet Products will bring to the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac’s® Pet Products.
“This is a company that Attica Raceway Park and the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac® Pet Products can not only help with brand recognition, but this partnership will promote their products directly to the race fans, many of whom have pets,” said Brad Doty, Co-Promoter of the race.
Doty said his family has been using dac® horse products for years.
“We’ve always had a lot of dogs in our household too and we definitely use the dac® Pet Products’ line of canine shampoos, conditioners, vitamins and supplements,” Doty added.
“Just like dac® Pet Products’ commitment to help animals perform better and live healthier lives, their commitment to our race helps elevate the event and make it bigger and better as well,” added Doty
Randy Jacobs, owner and president of dac®, and his family have a long history in racing. Randy’s grandfather Pete Jacobs built Wayne County Speedway and Randy’s sons, Garrett and RJ raced a sprint car at one time as well. Randy is also the cousin to Kenny and Dean Jacobs which means he has deep roots in racing as well as in the horse business.
To purchase any of dac®’s great products go to www.feeddac.com. For pet products click on canine and you can also search their website for a dealer near you.
Direct Action Co., Inc. (aka dac® Vitamins and Minerals) began in 1983 with a single product called Direct Action. It was based on a “new” feed technology called chelation, where a mineral is wrapped with an enzyme to naturally enhance the utilization of the mineral. Today, biotechnology in the feed business has gone from an obscure area of research and technology to give dac® customers products that will enhance the performance of their horses, pets and livestock whether they are working in the fields, showing in the ring, or simply being loving pets.
Currently, dac® offers over 75 products. By working with biotech firms and research specialists, dac® is able to offer products that are geared to meet the unique needs of the animal and its owner.
When the World of Outlaw NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series comes to Attica Raceway Park on Tuesday, July 16 for the 36th Annual Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac® Pet Products, the competitors will be battling for the $15,000 payday and the special trophy and hardware that go to the winner.
This year will mark the 19th time the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has sanctioned the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac® Pet Products. There have been 25 different winners in the 33 contested Brad Doty Classic features (2 have been rained out). NASCAR champion Kyle Larson claimed his third Brad Doty Classic in 2023. It was his third Doty win in the last four years.
Reserved seats for the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac® Pet Products are on sale by going to www.atticaracewaypark.com and click on the Brad Doty Classic link at the top of the main page.
For more information go to www.atticaracewaypark.comorfollow the track on Twitter @atticaracewyprk or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atticaracewaypark and Instagram at attica_raceway_park.
Follow Brad Doty on Twitter @braddoty18 and on Instagram @braddoty18
NASCAR is getting back into the brick-and-mortar restaurant business for the first time in well over a decade, with a “NASCAR Drafthouse” under construction in the St. Louis Airport.
The deal has yet to be announced, but a temporary wall placed around a vacant area in the St. Louis Lambert International Airport now has branding on it with the “NASCAR Drafthouse” name displayed, according to photos taken by the St. Louis Business Journal, an affiliated publication of SBJ. Sources say that it’s part of a new licensing agreement with airport concessionaire HMSHost, which also works with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the three airport editions of his Whiskey River chain of restaurants (in Charlotte, Raleigh and Ft. Lauderdale). The officially licensed “NASCAR Drafthouse” restaurant concept is expected to open later this summer once construction finishes. It will have an all-day menu serving breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a full bar and a grab-and-go section and a dine-in area, a source said. HMSHost is developing and operating the restaurant. Financial terms could not yet be learned. NASCAR declined to comment. For now, the sides are only committing to the one location in St. Louis.
GREEN EGGS & HAMLIN: “NASCAR Drafthouse” is thought to be the first in-person restaurant concept the Daytona Beach-based racing property has undertaken since “NASCAR Café” went out of business in the early 2000s. First announced in late 1995, when the sport’s popularity was surging, and lasting through the early 2000s, NASCAR Cafés were in Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Orlando and the Smoky Mountain Resort in Tennessee. They were cathedrals to racing, with all types of memorabilia dotting the walls and ceilings. With the new “NASCAR Drafthouse,” renderings obtained by the St. Louis Business Journal and SBJ show four TV screens behind the bar plus decorations like a bumper of a race car, framed images from races and a patterned display of tires.
DINE AND DASH: The reason that HMS and NASCAR decided on St. Louis was unclear, but the nearby World Wide Technology Raceway started hosting Cup Series to sold out crowds in 2022, showing that the area had a strong fanbase. While this is the first brick-and-mortar concept from NASCAR in well over a decade, it did work with former partner DoorDash on a ghost-kitchen concept in 2021 called NASCAR Refuel. The racing property’s Charlotte-based licensing division has been on a hot streak, with deals as it works to build its cool factor amid a renaissance around motorsports culture.
For decades, rumors have circulated that historic North Wilkesboro Speedway was the site of secret moonshine still. Now some Wilkes County locals may have more reason to say ‘I told you so,’ as a possible moonshine cave has been discovered underneath the concrete frontstretch grandstands.
During grandstand cleaning and inspection last week, operations staff discovered cracks in the original concrete in section N toward Turn 1. Crews began removing seats to inspect the extent of the damage and evaluate needs for repair. During the process, an open area of approximately 700-square-feet was discovered underneath the aging concrete.
“When we began renovating and restoring North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2022, we’d often hear stories of how an old moonshine still was operated here on the property under the grandstands,” said Steve Swift, senior vice president of operations and development at Speedway Motorsports. “Well, we haven’t found a still (yet), but we’ve found a small cave and an interior wall that would have been the perfect location to not only make illegal liquor, but to hide from the law as well. We don’t know how people would have gotten in and out, but as we uncover more, there’s no telling what we might find.”
So far, approximately 600 seats have been removed from sections N and O, and Speedway Motorsports staff are evaluating next steps for foundation repair and concrete replacement in advance of the upcoming May 14-19NASCAR All-Star Race Week.
“Now we have a race before the race,” Swift commented. “The area that’s been affected by the sinkhole is a frontstretch grandstand area with some of the best views of the track. We’ll have a lot of work to get done before NASCAR All-Star Race Week.”
After opening in 1947, North Wilkesboro Speedway became one of NASCAR’s original race tracks when it hosted the season finale for the inaugural Strictly Stock (now Cup) Series in 1949. The .0625-mile short track hosted NASCAR races until it closed in 1996. Following an extensive restoration, North Wilkesboro Speedway returned to the NASCAR Cup schedule on May 21, 2023, hosting the NASCAR All-Star Race.
After a busy start to the season, the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By Sunoco slows down in April before the jam-packed month of May.
Following the ‘Sunshine Swing’ in early February, and back-to-back weekends in March at Georgetown (Del.) Speedway and Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway, the month of April sees the STSS go quiet.
The busy stretch kicks off on Tuesday, May 7 with the ‘Diamond State 50’ at Delaware International Speedway in Round No. 3 of the Ollie’s Overall Championship and the NJ Quality Drywall South Region.
The 50-lap affair for the STSS big-block/small-block Modifieds carries a $5,000 winner’s share.
The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman will also be on hand for Round No. 3 of the Belmont’s Garage South Region. The first across the finish line at the end of the 25-lap feature receives a $1,500 top prize.
The following Tuesday (May 14) lifts the lid on the River Valley Builders North Region with the ‘Battle of the Bullring’ honoring Barry Davis at Accord (N.Y.) Speedway.
The 50-lap feature now will pay $9,090.90, honoring Barry Davis’s No. 9D in his successful driving career at the Ulster County bullring.
The STSS Crate 602 Sportsman kick off the Madsen Overhead Doors North Region with a 25-lap, $1,500-to-win feature event.
One week later (May 21), the STSS heads back to the South Region for Round No. 4 and a show carrying 75 show up points to all STSS Modified competitors.
The ‘Berks County Brawl’ returns to Action Track USA in Kutztown, Pa., after last year’s historic opener at the tight bullring.
The STSS Modifieds go for 50 laps and a $5,000 top prize with a fully paid B-Main in store as well.
The Madsen Overhead Doors North Region for the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman continues the following Sunday (May 26) with the ‘Fast Cars and Freedom’ at Brookfield (N.Y.) Speedway.
After last year’s inaugural appearance at the Madison County Fairgrounds, the STSS returns for another 25-lap, $1,500-to-win feature event.
May concludes for the STSS on Thursday, May 30 with the first ever visit to Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
The STSS Modifieds go for 70-laps chasing a $7,070 top prize in the ‘Adirondack Invasion,’ serving as Round No. 2 of the North Region celebrating 70 years of racing at the Plattsburgh venue.
When the month of May is all said and done, the Ollie’s Overall Championship for the STSS Modifieds will be through its sixth round of competition.
For a full look at the 2024 schedule and the action-packed month of May, visit the following link on the series website: https://www.shorttracksuperseries.com/schedules/
Strategy-heavy Bristol Cup race injected new life into NASCAR short-track racing according to motorsports writer Jordan Bianchi.
Since NASCAR rolled out the Next Gen car, drivers have often said their abilities have been minimized. A driver’s talent was no longer the difference between winning and losing.
Recently Bristol Motor Speedway’s annual spring Cup Series race was a throwback to a time when a driver’s skill set could be showcased to its fullest. Excessive wear forced drivers to manage their tires to such a degree they could rarely race all out, lest they risk a flat, creating a delicate balance where drivers had to pick and choose when to push.
Many pushed too hard, and they suffered the consequences. Others, like race winner Denny Hamlin, thrived, with the veteran at times conceding spots to competitors, knowing it was in his best interests to hold back. It’s why this victory, the 52nd of his career, resonated more than others since the advent of the Next Gen car for the 2022 season.
“This is the first time the driver played a huge role in a long, long time. Long time,” Hamlin said. “It’s a different philosophy from what we’re used to, which is everyone is just kind of on the gas all the time, running the bottom, the shortest way around. Technique was a huge deal today.
“I know I had such a huge role in the result. If the car was not good, I wasn’t going to win. But I feel like I played a huge factor in the result. It’s really a proud one for me. Certainly, one of the more proud ones I’ve had in my career, no question.”
Hamlin may be biased, considering he was holding the trophy after surviving a day when tires could go about 50 laps before problems began. It’s easy to be happy while standing in victory lane celebrating.
But Hamlin wasn’t alone in the sentiment after 500 laps on the demanding half-mile track.
“It was more in our hands than probably ever has been,” said Chase Elliott, who finished eighth. “I don’t know if you want that every week, but it was really fun and refreshing. It was kind of cool that you could kill your tires if you weren’t smart about it and you could make them last if you were.”
Throughout the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. posted messages on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, about how what he was watching resembled so many from years past where drivers had to manage their tires, rewarding those who could do it best. In many recent races, drivers have been able to run flat-out with little worry about tire wear.
“Hundred (laps) to go. Most entertaining short track race we have had with the Next Gen,” Earnhardt posted.
And the statistics backed up the claim that Bristol hosted a classic on Sunday. The lead changed hands 54 times, a track record. And 16 different drivers led, also a track-best.
“I think it was probably one of the best short track races I’ve ever seen,” NASCAR chief racing development officer John Probst said afterward.
Said Justin Haley, who finished 17th: “I loved it. I don’t know what social media says, but as a driver, I thought it was fun because you had to manage it. You weren’t all-out the whole time, so it was fun to have a major part in how the car ran.”
Some, though, were less enthusiastic.
Fifth-place finisher Kyle Larson said while there were elements he enjoyed, like the 50-lap window or having to slow down to such a significant degree to conserve tires, this form of racing is not something he’d want to do every week. Elliott echoed those comments, saying that while tire wear is a good thing, “there’s probably a little better balance somewhere there.”
Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney offered a more pointed review.
“No, I didn’t have fun,” said Blaney, who finished 16th. “I mean, what’s fun about riding around, creeping around, can’t run 50 laps unless you blow a tire? You got guys with blown stuff creeping around the racetrack.
“I bet it was entertaining to watch. It was a little bit of a wild race — not in a good way.”
Denny Hamlin
“This is the first time the driver played a huge role in a long, long time,” Denny Hamlin said of Sunday’s race in Bristol, where he earned the 52nd win of his career. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
Going into that Sunday, most expected tire wear to be a factor after potential issues became apparent in Saturday’s practice and qualifying sessions. But no one, from NASCAR to tire manufacturer Goodyear to drivers to crew chiefs, seemed to have a clear idea why this race unfolded this way.
“We put as much science to it as we can possibly put to it,” Probst said. “But at the end of the day, right? You got so many factors and variables that go into it. We’ll just have to look at it.”
One notable difference between this weekend and last September when NASCAR previously raced at Bristol was how the track was treated in an attempt to improve grip. In the fall, officials added PJ1 traction compound whereas this weekend resin was used in case NASCAR had to race in damp conditions. During a tire test earlier this year, it was discovered that PJ1 wasn’t effective on a wet track, as it actually made it slicker.
Could this be the catalyst for what was an entertaining race even despite a similar tire compound to last fall’s race?
“We’re trying to understand what’s different,” Goodyear racing director Greg Stucker said. “Why is the racetrack behaving differently this weekend than what it did a year ago? It’s the same, it’s the same package. It’s the same tire combination.
“Obviously, the difference is resin was placed on the lower groove instead of the PJ1. Yet I still think the racetrack should be taking rubber as it did last year. It took rubber immediately during that race.”
Whatever the reason, the result was a record-breaking race vastly different from most other short-track races during the Next Gen era. This one offered more passing, greater driver influence and did away with the tedious conversation about potential fixes to enhance the on-track product.
“This is supposed to be a sport,” said Chris Gabehart, Hamlin’s crew chief. “It’s supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to force these guys to make decisions in the car. Do I go now? Do I not? The crew chiefs make decisions on how they treat the tire, what their setup is, how long do you want to run this stint. You can’t just run the fuel tank out and the tire not blow. It might blow on you.”
Following the announcement of Cris Michaud and Pat Malone’s commitment to grow the base purse for American-Canadian Tour events to a $5,000-to-win, $500-to-start model, both familiar faces and new teams have jumped on board the ACT bandwagon for the 2024 season ahead.
At the top of the heap stands several returning Tour champions led by two-time and defending American-Canadian Tour high-point man D.J. Shaw returning in the Arnie Hill-owned 04VT and with expanded sponsorship by partner Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. As previously announced, 2021 ACT champion Ben Rowe will return in 2024 teamed with fellow Mainer Rowland Robinson, Jr. for an owner’s championship run while 2014 champion Joey Polewarczyk Jr. has also signed up for the full-season slate.
While unable to grasp the championship as of yet, leading young circuit-chasers Derek Gluchacki of Dartmouth, Massachusetts and Center Conway, New Hampshire’s Gabe Brown have filed their full season paperwork. While Brown looks to make-up just one spot ahead of his 2022 finish to join the list of international ACT champions, Gluchacki will be pulling double duty to chase the $54,000 Kulwicki Driver Development Program championship against six other finalists in North America.
Former ACT rookies of the year Tanner Woodard, Alexendre ‘Fireball’ Tardif and Erick Sands have also made their strong presence known in recent seasons with all three ready to chase the 13-event Tour once again in 2024. New Hampshire young stars Bryan Wall Jr. and Cam Huntress will also be on hand to battle upcoming rookies Kasey Beattie, Kaiden Fisher, Cole Littlewood and Jeremy Sorel.
Multi-time American-Canadian Tour winner Jonathan Bouvrette will once again chase the ACT Tour in 2024 from his Blainville, Quebec-homebase along with fellow Northern invaders Remi Perreault and the ACT Iron Man, Claude Leclerc. 2023 first-time winners Jesse Switser and Brandon Barker have signed on for the full chase along with former Thunder Road King of the Road Bobby Therrien and Vermont sisters Peyton and Reilly Lanphear. Longtime Massachusetts-based ACT runners Jimmy Linardy and Pete Yetman have also purchased their full season entries for the 2024 season.
“All of us are looking forward to getting the season started,” said ACT Managing Partner Cris Michaud. “We’re hearing a lot of positives from teams, fans and sponsors, I think we all agree that 2024 is going to be a great season all around.”
The American-Canadian Tour begins the 2024 season in three weeks with the 4th annual Northeast Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 13 with Sunday, April 14 set as a built-in rain date if needed. The American-Canadian Tour will contest 13 events in 2024 including visits to some of New England’s most popular weekends and tracks stretching from Connecticut to Quebec, Canada.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @ACTTour
