NASCAR is offering to extend the charter system for seven years concurrent to its new media rights agreement, according to four sources familiar with the talks, as teams fight for something closer to a permanent status for their version of franchises. Sources say NASCAR’s offer is to extend the system from 2025 through 2031. Teams want the system locked into NASCAR’s rules in perpetuity, along with getting additional guaranteed media revenue. As a middle ground, teams are open to something resembling an “evergreen” status where they keep the charter permanently as long as they meet a list of requirements that would be agreed on with NASCAR, such as running every race. NASCAR and the RTA had no comment on the specific terms being discussed when contacted.

Recently at Daytona, NASCAR declined to show up to a Race Team Alliance meeting to discuss a new deal, while teams revealed they had retained antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler. The original charter agreement was negotiated in 2015, the first year of NASCAR’s current 10-year media rights agreement that expires after 2024. It was designed to give teams a form of enterprise value they never had. While charters are essentially like franchises, NASCAR is noticeably different from major stick-and-ball leagues in that teams have no equity in the league itself and are instead independent contractors. Still, teams believe making their charters permanent should be a natural next step of the sport operating more like a league. Charters have increased 11-fold in value since the system began. The most recent one was sold by Live Fast Motorsports to Spire Motorsports for slightly less than $40M. Many of NASCAR’s team owners are in their 70s and 80s, and at least some of them believe this is their chance to lock in enterprise value that can last for their family through generations, sources say.

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is thrilled to announce its 2024 broadcast package will include live coverage of every National Championship race this season. Continuing its partnership with MAVTV, Trans Am’s TA/XGT/SGT/GT and CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series events will air live on MAVTV’s linear television network and its Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) channel, MAVTV Select.

In addition to live broadcasts of the events, 60-minute highlight shows will air Thursdays on MAVTV in primetime following each race weekend, with the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race airing at 8:00 p.m. ET and the TA/XGT/SGT/GT race airing at 9:00 p.m. ET as part of MAVTV’s ‘World of Racing’ programming block. Other Trans Am programming includes the docuseries Road to Glory, which tracks the progress of teams and drivers in the paddock.

In addition to the MAVTV broadcasts, live streams will also be available for all National Championship events on Trans Am’s YouTube channel (@TheTransAmSeries) and the SpeedTour TV YouTube channel (@SpeedTourTV).

Greenlight Television will continue its role as production company for the seventh-consecutive season, producing Trans Am’s live MAVTV broadcasts, MAVTV highlight shows and YouTube live streams, in addition to managing Trans Am’s international distribution, which reaches more than a billion homes. In addition to Trans Am, Greenlight will also produce and live stream races for other SpeedTour properties such as the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), International GT (IGT), Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas), Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.), the Ligier JS F4 Series and the Prototype Sprint Series Association (PSSA).

Veteran commentator Jonathan Green returns to the broadcast booth as lead announcer. Green will be joined by a variety of co-hosts offering expert analysis throughout the season. Ben Cissell will once again serve as pre-race, post-race and pit-road reporter.

“We are very proud of our broadcast package for 2024,” says Parella Motorsports Holdings Chief Operating Officer Michael Printup. “Every National Trans Am race will air live in its entirety on network television, in addition to streaming live on YouTube, providing fans and motorsports enthusiasts at home unprecedented viewing options. We are also very pleased to continue and grow our relationship with MAVTV, who have been phenomenal broadcast partners since joining us last season.”

Maple Grove Raceway officially kicks off the 2024 season March 16th with the Spring Swap Meet. This is a great time to sell unwanted items and/or buy parts for your next project.

The month of March will also feature on-track action with two Test-N-Tune dates. These will feature a Gamblers Race for our bracket racers who want some seat time before the Sunoco E.T. Series ramps up. The dates for the Test-N-Tunes are Saturday, March 23rd and Sunday, March 31st.

Test-N-Tunes are open to all! Take on the Grove and see what your car can do. Race car, daily driver, project car….all are welcome. You never know what you’ll see on a Test-N-Tune at Maple Grove. Every car needs a little track time after a long winter, even those jet cars. Went faster than expected? We have a fully stocked Speed Shop to handle all your safety equipment needs. Maple Grove’s concession stand is open all Test-N-Tune dates.

 Ed Carpenter Racing has announced a new partnership with askROI, an AI tool for small- and medium-sized businesses. RiskOn International, Inc. will be launching the initial version of the askROI.com platform on or before March 4, 2024. The No. 21 Chevrolet of Rinus VeeKay will feature askROI.com at select events, including the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

askROI aims to redefine the boundaries of generative AI by providing tailored business solutions beyond the conventional scope, adapting to individuals’ or businesses’ specific data. The platform is engineered to provide instant insights based upon unique data, efficiently transforming complex queries into actionable answers. askROI has several innovative features, including the ability to process data information from diverse sources and prioritization of privacy and security with top-tier encryption and access controls. The platform can be customized to serve a variety of industries, making it a universal tool for business innovation. askROI and ECR are actively exploring ways that the team can use AI to increase competitiveness.

ECR team owner Ed Carpenter stated, “We are excited to partner with a new and innovative product like askROI. While we are an NTT INDYCAR SERIES team, we are also a small business that can benefit from the generative AI that askROI provides. Much of our program is data-driven and we look forward to working with askROI as we push towards a fast and competitive 2024 season!”

Since its inception in 2012, ECR has raced exclusively in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The team has shown its versatility by earning multiple wins across each style of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and super speedways. VeeKay remains the longest-tenured full-time driver in ECR’s history, entering his fifth season behind the wheel of the No. 21. Carpenter will return to the No. 20 as the team transitions back to a model it utilized for many years, splitting the car between the talents of two drivers. Carpenter, the only active owner/driver in the field, will race in the seven oval events in his 22nd year of NTT INDYCAR SERIES competition. Danish rookie Christian Rasmussen will drive in the 11 road and street course events on the heels of his 2023 INDY NXT championship (formerly Indy Lights). All three will be entered in the Indianapolis 500

NHRA officials have announced that Automotive Racing Products (ARP), an industry leader in fastener technology, will be the title sponsor of the new “ARP Six-Second Club” for the Holly EFI NHRA Factory X category.

The exciting new category, reserved for 2019 and newer manufactured automobiles, will run its first full season in 2024, running eight national events, starting with the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on April 12-14 and ending at the NHRA Nevada Nationals in Las Vegas on Oct. 31-Nov. 3.

The “ARP Six-Second Club” will award the first eight drivers in Holly EFI NHRA Factory X who make six-second runs in competition. The first driver to make the historic six-second run will be awarded $10,000, with the second driver earning $5,000. The six additional drivers will also earn a cash payout for reaching the six-second mark and along with the cash prize, each of the first eight drivers to make a six-second run will receive a trophy and an “ARP Six-Second Club” jacket.

“We’re very excited to put this ‘ARP Six-Second Club’ together. This is a very creative class, there’s a lot of very smart people in the category and I think it’s going to attract a lot of people,” said Chris Raschke, ARP Director of Sales and Marketing. “Everyone at ARP is about supporting the racers. That’s our bread and butter and we all think this class is the start of something big. It’s a very cool class. ARP is looking forward to supporting this class and these racers, and we’re proud to be involved. The teams in this class are going to put together some really exciting things and we’re happy to be part of it.”

A worldwide leader in fastener technology, ARP has been a longtime partner for NHRA teams at all levels of racing and will now be actively involved in the new Holley EFI NHRA Factory X category. Cars in the class have a minimum weight limit of 2,650 pounds, which is nearly 1,000 pounds lighter than a Factory Stock Showdown car, and a manual transmission is mandatory. The COPO Camaros race with a 630-hp Magnuson 2.65-L supercharger, and the DragPak Challengers utilize a 630-hp, 3.0-L Whipple. The Cobra Jet 327 Mustang’s engine combination is a 610-hp, 3.0-L Whipple unit.

Each body must be OEM dimensional, meaning there can be no alterations to the bodies. Cars must also race on tires that are 33 inches tall and 10.5 inches wide, which are wider than FSS cars.

With the potential to showcase big-performance numbers and standout runs, a six-second pass could be on the horizon during the 2024 campaign in Holley EFI NHRA Factory X. The lightweight, modified class impressed when it debuted during the tail end of the 2023 NHRA season, with standouts making several low seven-second runs.

“We’re thrilled to introduce this program from a great partner like ARP, which adds even more excitement to the new Holley EFI NHRA Factory X category,” said Brad Gerber, NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “ARP sees the potential in this class, and it’s quickly become a very innovative category. There’s a lot of interest in Factory X and a bonus like this for the first six-second run adds even more incentive for our race teams and also gives fans something very cool to look forward to this year.”

For more information about NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

Williams Grove Speedway is just a short time away from dropping the green flag on its 80th consecutive season of auto racing when the 2024 season opener for Lawrence Chevrolet 410 sprint cars takes to the track on Sunday, March 17 at 2 pm.

The sprint cars will race for $5,500 to win in a 25-lap feature on opening day, presented by Hoosier.

Gates will open at noon with practice laps slated for 1:30.

The wingless super sportsman will also be on the Sunday afternoon card that will herald in the new season at the Cumberland County oval.

Zeb Wise of Angola, Indiana, scored a last lap, upset win of the opening day sprint car feature last season.

Wise drove by Anthony Macri on the final tour to get the victory on April 7.The win by Wise continued what has been a domination of sorts by invaders this decade in the Williams Grove season opener.

Three of the last four lidlifters have been taken by outside invaders.

California outlaws driver Carson Macedo dropped in for opening day laurels in 2020 with Indianans Justin Peck and Wise following suit in 2022 and 2023.

Only defending track champion Freddie Rahmer has broken through in the decade to date by scoring the 2021 opening day checkers.

So, who might walk through the door in 2024?

Will the outside domination continue?

Or will the locals be able to even the score a bit?

The question will be answered with the first checkered flag of the new season on March 17.

Adult general admission for the first show of the New Year is set at $20 with youth ages 13 – 20 priced at $10.

Kids ages 12 and under are always admitted for FREE at Williams Grove Speedway.

Keep up to date on all the latest speedway news and information and view the full 2024 schedule of events by visiting the oval’s official website located at www.williamsgrove.com.  Follow the track on X, Facebook and Instagram.

Powerball®, the Official Lottery Game of NASCAR®, announced today the return of its highly-anticipated national promotion, the NASCAR Powerball Playoff. First introduced last year, the season-long Powerball promotion will, again, culminate with four lottery players winning a VIP trip for two to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ in Phoenix, Nov. 8-10, and a 1 in 4 chance to win $1 million during a special drawing televised live from the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race™ on Sunday, Nov. 10.

“We’re excited to offer our players this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the exhilaration of NASCAR Championship Weekend first-hand, in addition to the chance of becoming a millionaire on the spot!” said Drew Svitko, Powerball Product Group Chair and Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director. “Players should follow their local lotteries for information on how to enter. As always, every time you buy a Powerball ticket, a portion of that purchase stays in your home state to support good causes.”

“The inaugural NASCAR Powerball Playoff last year was thrilling to watch from start to finish, resulting in Stephanie Walker taking home the $1 million prize,” said Michelle Byron, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Partnership Marketing. “We anticipate the same drama in 2024 and look forward to someone becoming a millionaire during Championship Weekend in Phoenix this November.”

The national Powerball® promotion will begin at the state level with participating lotteries holding in-state contests and second-chance drawings throughout the 2024 NASCAR regular season to form a national pool of entrants. Entry periods and method of entry will vary by lottery. At the end of the NASCAR regular season, 16 semi-finalists will be drawn from the national pool to advance to the Powerball Playoff drawings, with no more than one semi-finalist per lottery advancing.

The Powerball Playoff drawings are a series of elimination drawings that mirror the elimination rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs™. In the NASCAR Playoffs, the top 16 drivers at the end of the regular season are eligible to compete for the Championship title. After each Playoff round, the bottom four drivers are eliminated until the field of eligible drivers decreases from 16 to 12 to 8 to 4.

Likewise, the NASCAR Powerball Playoff begins with 16 national semi-finalists. As the NASCAR Playoffs field of drivers is reduced, Powerball will reduce its playoff field of semi-finalists eligible to win the $1 million grand prize. Through a series of elimination drawings, the field of semi-finalists will be reduced from 16 to 12 to 8 to 4 – with the remaining four finalists winning a VIP trip for two to the NASCAR Championship Weekend™ at Phoenix Raceway and entry into the $1 million drawing in Victory Lane.

The results of each Powerball Playoff drawing will be revealed during select race broadcasts, beginning with the Round of 16 announcement on Sept. 1 during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500™ race at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. Cash prizes will be awarded to all 16 national semi-finalists based on their elimination position, ranging from $2,500 to the $1 million prize:

AMA Pro Racing and FloSports, a global independent sports media company and streaming platform, have entered into a multi-year media agreement making FloRacing the exclusive livestreaming and content destination for Progressive American Flat Track (AFT), the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series.

The addition of Progressive AFT to the FloRacing portfolio will broaden its two-wheel offerings to fans and further establish its position as the ultimate destination for racing audiences of all kinds. FloRacing is a worldwide leader for motorsports content delivering more than 142 million views in 2023 across a wide range of motorsports coverage including dirt, pavement, drag, NASCAR, and more.

“This is a landmark agreement for Progressive American Flat Track, and we are excited to partner with FloSports ahead of our 70th anniversary season,” said Gene Crouch, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. “FloSports has a proven track record of growing sports. We are likeminded in our commitment to expanding our audience and ensuring fans have access to every moment of live racing action.”

“FloRacing is quickly becoming an essential destination for all motorsports fans and adding Progressive AFT to our portfolio helps bring us one step closer to fulfilling our vision for the brand,” said Mark Floreani, CEO of FloSports. “The history and legacy of Progressive AFT is remarkable and it is our mission to help grow the sport across our channels through world-class storytelling and event coverage.”

Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.

FansChoice.tv will continue to be Progressive AFT’s home for video-on-demand and archived content, while expanding to include Road to AFT amateur races and select American Hillclimb rounds in 2024. More details will be announced in the near future.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

The first "King's Hat" stood tall in the Hard Rock Bet Fan Zone at Daytona International Speedway throughout Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth.

At the track where the Petty family legacy began, Richard and Kyle Petty, along with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and Daytona International Speedway kicked off the Petty Family’s 75th year in racing with a literal tip of the hat.

Track president Frank Kelleher had the honor of unveiling the first of 28 one-of-a-kind life-size art installations that feature the likeness of Richard Petty’s famous cowboy hat indubitably titled “The King’s Hat”.

“The King’s Hat” is a six-foot tall, 1,000-pound, fiberglass and concrete statue that will become a permanent display this season at all NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports-owned tracks, as well as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway, Pocono Raceway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the Petty Museum. Each installation will have a uniquely personalized tribute to the Petty family.

“It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” said “The King” Richard Petty. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”

The hats are meticulously hand-crafted by TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Brother and sister duo, Randi and Hart Johnson have personally worked with each track to bring the creative vision to life. All one of a kind and thoughtfully designed, the hope is that these special statues will become landmarks for fans to visit and pay tribute to the Petty’s for many years to come.

“My dad’s cowboy hat is iconic and is a part of who Richard Petty is,” said Kyle Petty. “If you see that hat, you know its Richard Petty. It’s been his signature look for as long as any race fan can remember. This is a great way to celebrate our family’s heritage and a fun way for fans to honor and learn about our history within the sport. We can’t thank LEGACY M.C., and all the tracks enough for working together to bring this to life.”

Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they find this one-of-a-kind piece of history and post photos socially, as “The King’s Hat” is set to become a permanent fixture of each city the NASCAR Cup Series visits in 2024. Fans can go to www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com/Petty-75 for the locations of each hat.

NHRA officials are pleased to announce the NHRA Youth and Education Services (YES) Program will host 15 live events during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, as well as six virtual programs during the summer portion of the upcoming season.

The NHRA YES Program will also hold two “Pilot Program” events during the 2024 season at a pair of NHRA Member Tracks: April 15 at Kansas International Dragway in Wichita, Kan., and May 17 at Toronto Motorsports Park. The pilot program events will allow the two NHRA Member Tracks to host YES Programs for local schools in the community.

The event at Toronto Motorsports Park also marks the first NHRA Yes Program that will take place outside of the United States.

The NHRA YES Program is the only full-time education program in motorsports providing quality educational content and activities for schools and youth organizations nationwide. The YES Program invites students to NHRA national events to see first-hand the career chances within the motorsports field, bringing thousands of students to the track each year, while the pilot programs offer those same opportunities at tracks without a national event.

In 2023, the YES Program hosted more than 31,000 students at tracks across the country and in 2024 the team of partners for the YES Program will again include Ford, Mac Tools, Gerber Collision & Glass, and the United States Air Force.

“We enjoyed incredible success with the YES Program in 2023, welcoming more than 30,000 students to tracks to learn about career opportunities in motorsports, and we’re thrilled about the direction of the program in 2024,” said John Baadilla, NHRA Director of National Event Marketing Operations. “We have four amazing YES Program partners in Ford, Mac Tools, Gerber Collision & Glass, and the United States Air Force and to now extend the program to a pair of NHRA Member Tracks, including the first in Canada, it’s a great opportunity for these tracks to build exciting relationships within their communities.”

The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season begins March 7-10 with the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The YES Program will host live events from Gainesville through the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 7-9 in Bristol and then from the 70th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park through the end of the season. The six virtual YES Programs will take place from the Virginia NHRA Nationals in Richmond through the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd.

For more information about the NHRA YES Program, please visit www.nhra.com/yes. To register to attend, please visit www.nhra.com/yesprogramregistration. For more information about NHRA Launch – Motorsports Careers, visit www.nhralaunch.com.

New Jersey Motorsports Park is thrilled to announce its new Riders Club Pro Racer is none other than the MotoAmerica Supersport Rider, Kayla Yaakov. The Eastern Pennsylvania native may be young at 16 years old, but she has years of experience in professional racing and a passion for the sport that cannot be matched.

Yaakov’s love for motorcycle racing began when she was just a toddler, and she has gone onto win more than 30 races in her career so far. At only 13 years old she began her MotoAmerica journey with the Mission Mini Cup by Motul Championship. Naturally, she moved up to the MotoAmerica Junior Cup Championship in 2021 and neared four wins and 12 podiums over the next two years in MotoAmerica’s entry-level class. This past season she competed in the Supersport series at MotoAmerica’s season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park where she made MotoAmerica history by finishing on the podium and becoming the first female road racer to do so in the MotoAmerica era of AMA-sanctioned professional road racing.

Most recently, Yaakov has signed a prestigious position with Ben Spies for team Rahal Ducati Moto, where she will be racing on a Ducati Panigale V2 motorcycle as number 19 in due time.

“We at NJMP are thrilled to have Kayla join us as our Riders Club Pro Racer,” says NJMP President and CEO, Brad Scott, “We have been closely watching her aspiring career and believe that Kayla’s skills, experience, and out-going personality is the perfect fit for our Riders Club.”

The New Jersey Motorsports Park Riders Club is a private membership experience for those enthusiastic about motorcycle racing in both an exciting and safe atmosphere. The Riders Club membership program offers premium motorcycle-only track days, membership benefits, and the best setting for riding motorbikes in a safe and controlled program by combining the strongest motorcycle club management, knowledgeable instructors, and NJMP’s two world-class professional road racing circuits.

As NJMP’s Riders Club Pro Racer, Yaakov will offer guidance and experience with her presence at the track. Members will have the opportunity to be greeted by Yaakov and interact with her during select track days. She will help guide new and seasoned members on a track walk around NJMP’s renowned Thunderbolt Raceway and on dedicated Pro-Rider Track Days, Yaakov will be there to lend tips and advice to the members present on the following dates*: Thursday, May 23; Sunday, July 21; Saturday, August 3; and Sunday, August 4. Yaakov’s partnership with NJMP will create another value to this already exclusive membership.

NHRA officials have announced that GETTRX™, powered by Global Electronic Technology and the fastest name in credit card processing, has been named the Official Credit Card Processor of NHRA as part of a multi-year agreement.

GETTRX™ was founded by Steve Bryson nearly 30 years ago and has become an industry leader in the FinTech space. The company is building on a successful 2023 with the launch of GETTRX One™, a major platform improvement showcasing exciting developments for customer payment processing needs. GETTRX has also built a strong reputation throughout the industry for its strong customer support and family-first attitude, which has also translated well to its growing partnership with NHRA.

“Fans trust NHRA events to deliver speed, and as the fastest name in credit card processing, our customers know GETTRX™ is all about speed, too. We’re proud of our increased presence with the NHRA,” GETTRX™ Founder and CEO Steve Bryson said.

As well as its status as Official Credit Card Processor of NHRA, GETTRX™ will be heavily involved with racing in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. They are sponsoring the All-Star Callout races in both Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, with the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout will take place on Saturday, May 18 at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago. The GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout takes place two months later at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, July 27, and the total purse for both specialty races will be nearly $140,000.

The exciting bonus races feature a unique callout format, pitting eight standouts against each other with big money and bragging rights on the line in both Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

 

 

 

Additionally, GETTRX™ is a proud partner for race teams in the NHRA, including Total Seal Piston Rings owner and Pro Stock standout Matt Hartford, who won the NHRA U.S. Nationals in 2023, as well as Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Hector Arana, Jr., who placed third in final point’s standings and won the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Thanks to this and other partnerships formed between GETTRX™ and teams in years past, the company has seen the first-hand benefit of working with NHRA drivers.

“We’re proud to continue to grow this relationship with GETTRX™ and have them involved with NHRA drag racing on so many exciting levels,” NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brad Gerber said. “Their passion and customer-first mindset has made them a great partner and translates perfectly into our sport. They see strong value in the NHRA and it’s a huge thrill to see their excitement for the sport as we move into the 2024 season.”

For more information about the NHRA, including the 2024 schedule, visit www.nhra.com.

For Kyle Jones and Corey Joyner, it’s always been a dream to compete full-time with the United States Auto Club.

Together, they will achieve that dream in 2024 with Jones teaming up to drive Joyner Motorsports’ Spike/Stanton SR-11x on the complete 30-race USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship slate.

The 30-year-old Jones (Kennedale, Texas), a veteran of 21 career USAC Midget starts dating back to 2015, has been a fixture in dirt open wheel circles throughout the past decade. He’s raced extensively in winged sprint cars, winning with IMCA, ASCS and POWRi. In 2017, he captured USAC’s Gulf Coast SpeeD2 Midget title, and in 2023, he became the highest finishing Texan ever at the Chili Bowl Nationals with a sixth-place result on the final night.

But for as long as Jones can remember, the goal was to go USAC racing. Over the past few years, Jones has gone all-in and bet on himself to make it happen. All he ever wanted in return was a chance.

“I actually quit my job and went full-time racing about two-three years ago,” Jones explained. “I was 28-29 at the time, and I said, if I’m going to do it, the time is now. The older I get, the less opportunities I’m going to have and the less I’m going to be able to do it. So, I decided I was going to chase it. I’ve run midgets, sprint cars and a bunch of random stuff, but the goal has always been to go full-time with USAC. That’s always been my number one goal, and I’ve always wanted to chase it.”

Jones has driven a variety of machines in his racing career, and just last year, made his USAC National Sprint Car debut in his home state of Texas at Devil’s Bowl Speedway where he won his heat race and finished 10th in his debut. Everywhere he turns a wheel, he turns heads, which has led him to opportunity after opportunity where he’s continued to shine.

“I’ve bet on myself, and said, ‘I think I can go do this,’” Jones stated. “Every time I look down, I’m like, ‘ah man, I don’t know what I’m going to do next week,’ then I get a phone call, and all of a sudden, I’m going to go race some random car in a random place and it works out. We end up doing well and that sets up something else for the next time. It’s all meant to be, and it’s all rolled into this. It’s pretty surreal, for sure.”

 

Joyner, at age 23, very may well be among the youngest USAC National Midget team owners ever. In recent years, aside from operating a precious metals business, he’s been a semi-regular competitor as a driver with the USAC National Midgets when the series competes in the Great Plains states near his Concordia, Kan. home where he grew up some 60-70 yards from Chad McDaniel’s body shop. Growing up, Joyner looked up to McDaniel and fellow racer Garett Hood, both Kansas natives who were stalwarts in the midget racing game.

Tragically, McDaniel lost his life in an accident during a USAC Midget event at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway in 2009. Joyner, at just nine years old at the time, is around the same age as McDaniel’s son. But despite the accident, the desire to compete never left Joyner’s soul. Joyner made a couple handfuls of USAC Midget appearances between 2021-23, driving for his own team as well as Mounce-Stout Motorsports. But now, Joyner has stepped away from driving duties to focus on building his team from the ground-up.

“My lifelong goal has been to own a midget and race a midget,” Joyner revealed. “Now my heart is still here, and I know my best way of being around racing for a long time is to turn wrenches. I’ve had my fun, but I think if I can stick it out as a business, this is where I want to be for quite a while.”

Joyner’s tutelage in the sport has come from a variety of sources. Among the most invaluable advice and assistance he’s received has come from one of the top teams in the USAC ranks, RMS Racing’s Dave Estep.

“Dave is kind of like a dad to me,” Joyner explained. “Without his help, I don’t think I’d be where I’m at right now with the knowledge of how to operate a race team. He took me to Indiana and put my car on the dyno and dialed it in for me. He’s really given me 10 years’ worth of knowledge within the last year and a half. With the knowledge I’ve gained and the experience that Kyle brings, I wouldn’t put my money somewhere if I didn’t believe he was at least a top-10 or top-five national point’s driver.”

Like Jones, for Joyner, his dream has come to fruition. Not only has he long held a desire to compete at this level, it’s something he plans on being just the start of something even bigger and better in the years to come with USAC.

“What it boils down to is the prestigious history of USAC,” Joyner said. “We grew up watching USAC as kids, and I told my dad when I was younger, someday, I’m going to own a midget. Just the atmosphere of being around USAC, it’s an atmosphere of its own and it’s a ton of fun.”

Joyner has long noticed the racing exploits of Jones and noted how he seemed to make every car he drives work. When the time came to search for a driver of his own No. 27x, Jones was at the top of that list. What started out as just a friendship in the pits at the racetrack soon turned into a full-time ride.

“We had raced against each other here and there over the past few years,” Jones recalled. “It just started out as a good friendship at first, then it was like, ‘hey, let’s go racing.  Let’s go do this.’ To me, it all happened for a reason. It was one of those things that just started rolling. Now here we are. I’ve been grinding on midget racing scene here and there for the last 10 years. As a kid growing up and knowing about USAC, that’s always been my main goal. I knew that if I could ever run USAC full-time, I feel like I would’ve made it. Now, I’m absolutely stoked to go out and chase it.”

The 2024 USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season begins on April 26-27 with the Kokomo Grand Prix at Indiana’s Kokomo Speedway.

Officials of DY Enterprises, LLC, owners of FASTRAK Racing, are proud to announce the addition of Latrobe Speedway, in Latrobe, PA, as a VP Racing presents Weekend Warrior Racing powered by FASTRAK sanctioned track.

“We are extremely happy to have Latrobe Speedway as part of our family for the 2024 season. We are looking forward to working with Dennis, DJ, and David and all their race teams for the foreseeable future as we continue to rebuild the FASTRAK brand,” commented DY Enterprises, LLC owner Bill Lupinos.

Latrobe Speedway Pro Late Model, formally known as Crate Late Model, competitors, will compete under the FASTRAK banner again in 2024 as they did with FASTRAK in 2019 under the previous ownership. Latrobe Speedway competitors will compete for the $10,000 to win; VP Racing presents Weekend Warrior Racing powered by FASTRAK National Championship in 2024. Latrobe Speedway will also host at least one FASTRAK Touring Series event, with a date to be determined.

"We are happy once again to have our Crate Late Model drivers under the FASTRAK Racing Pro Late Model banner, under the new ownership of Bill and Stacy Lupinos of DY Enterprises LLC," said Dennis Bates of SNB Promotions.

The FASTRAK Racing Series schedule will be released soon and include events at some of the country’s top tracks. If you are interested in a FASTRAK Racing Series event or want to become a member track, call (917) 697-4776.

Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the FASTRAK Racing Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook, plus follow @FASTRAK_Racing on Twitter to get up-to-the-minute news and details as they become available. FASTRAK can also be found on Instagram @fastrak_racing.

The 2024 marketing partners for the FASTRAK Racing Series are Chevrolet Performance, VP Racing Fuel "The official fuel of FASTRAK," VP Racing Lubricants, Hoosier “The official tire of FASTRAK,” DY Enterprises, LLC, Pit Row TV "The official video home of FASTRAK," Victory Fuel, Chew on This Beef Jerky, GunSkins, KRC Power Steering, Project K-9 Hero, Velocita-USA, Racing Junk, and Thomas Clarke Performance.