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Inherits lead with ten laps left en route to capturing first win of the year

LAS VEGAS — March 4, 2016 — Donny Schatz fell out of the top five on the initial start of the FVP Outlaw Showdown presented by Dollar Loan Center on Friday night at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas, but he battled his way back to the front and took the lead with four laps remaining to score his second World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series victory of the season.

The seven-time and reigning series champion improved on his finish of seventh on the opening night of the double-header at Las Vegas.

“This race team needs to be standing here taking the credit for this win, they are incredible,” the Fargo, N.D.-native said. “I know I am probably the hardest guy in the pit area to work for. They demand a lot out of me and I try to give them my best.”

Thursday night’s winner Joey Saldana wheeled his Roth Enterprises/HR Livestock No. 83 to the night’s overall quick time after he was the first car to hit the track in qualifying and held on while the rest of the 36-car field took times.

Saldana cruised to a victory in his heat, putting him at the front of the field for before the dash inversion draw.

Following an inversion draw of six, Rico Abreu started from the pole-position in his Abreu Vineyards/Alpine Star No. 24R for the six lap dash. Abreu lost the lead as soon as the green flag fell to Brad Sweet who started in the third position.

Sweet dominated the dash feature, placing him at the front of the field for the 30-lap feature in his Razorback Professional Tools/Reibes Auto Parts No. 49 with Schatz and Saldana starting inside the top three.

Once the green flag dropped, third place starter Saldana rocketed to the lead as Sweet settled into second and Schatz’s Bad Boy/Chevrolet Performance No. 15 slipped back to sixth.

WATCH DONNY SCHATZ’S THRILLING VICTORY AS WELL AS OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY NIGHT’S ACTION

Saldana controlled the opening eight laps but never quite escaped from Sweet who completed a pass for the lead on lap nine.

Sweet pulled away from the field and seemed to have the car to beat early in the feature, but Schatz continued to make progress back to the front of the field, getting to the fourth position when a caution came out on lap 10.

On the ensuing restart, Schatz made the move of the race as he shot around third place Brian Brown and made his way to the inside of second place Saldana. A few laps later, Schatz had completed the pass on Saldana for second and had his sights set on the leader.

With 10 laps remaining the leaders encountered heavy lapped traffic, resulting in leader Sweet changing his line to navigate the gaggle of cars. This allowed Schatz and Saldana to close in on the bumper of the leader, cutting his lead down to just a second and a half.

Schatz wasted no time in challenging Sweet for the top spot. Sweet had to slow and change his line as he approached slower cars allowing Schatz to complete the pass for the lead, while also opening the door for Saldana to slide by for second with just four laps left.

“You race the same way whether you’re in traffic or out of traffic, you just try to keep your car underneath you,” Schatz said. “There were two grooves out there – the race track was pretty good. The bottom got a little tricky and my car wasn’t very good at the beginning, but we expected that and we sacrificed a little at the start to be better at the end.”

With just two laps remaining, a caution came out, setting the race up for a green-white-checkered finish between three of four different winners in 2016.

On the restart, Sweet tried to slide his way around Schatz and Saldana to steal the win away but came up just short, as he fell back to the third position.

Schatz held off Saldana through the final two lap shootout as Saldana finished the double-header at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a first and a second place finish.

“We did everything right tonight,” Saldana said. “Everything was going good and there was a point where I thought I might have a shot, and then it went away because these guys are so tough and so good and they don’t make a lot of mistakes.

“I didn’t want the yellow at the end of the race. I had a little harder tire on tonight and it took me longer to get going. Before we got to the lapped traffic, [Schatz] was running the middle and the bottom and I was running him back down, but once we got to the traffic he moved up.”

After leading the majority of the race, Sweet settled for a third place finish, extending the Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb podium streak.

“We got the lead and had a really good car,” Sweet said. “We just made too many mistakes and you can’t do that with Donny breathing down your throat, then Joey got by me too. There were just too many driver errors.

“It’s still early in the year and the Razorback car is fast every time it hits the racetrack so there’s nothing to really hang my head about. I have to get a little better in lapped traffic if I want to run with Donny.”

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series heads south to Phoenix for the first time since 2009 for the inaugural Napa Desert Shootout at Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek on Sunday.

Follow the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws, like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws, or check out the latest videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws.

The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Notebook

RACE NOTES: Donny Schatz becomes only the second repeat winner of 2016…Kasey Kahne Racing extends its podium streak to one car inside the top three in all seven events…Jason Johnson picks up his second KSE Hard Charger Award of the season…Joey Saldana became the fifth different driver to pick up a quick time award so far this season.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS – MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Donny Schatz; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Mobil 1 ($50 cash): Jason Sides; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Edelbrock ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Jason Johnson; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; Super Flow ($50 cash): Paul McMahan; Craftsman ($100 cash): Rico Abreu;Sweet Manufacturing ($50 product certificate): Brad Sweet; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): Jason Johnson;Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Donny Schatz; Mobil 1 (20% off Mobil1RacingStore.com): David Gravel; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): Jason Sides; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): David Gravel.

SEASON WINNERS: Brad Sweet – 3 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26); Donny Schatz – 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 4); Daryn Pittman – 1 (Royal Purple Raceway on Feb. 27); Joey Saldana – 1 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 3);

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas, Nev.; March 4, 2016

A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$10,000]; 2. 83-Joey Saldana [3] [$5,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [1] [$3,000]; 4. 21-Brian Brown [5] [$2,700]; 5. 2-Shane Stewart [12] [$2,500]; 6. 24R-Rico Abreu [4] [$2,200]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [10] [$2,000]; 8. 18-Ian Madsen [7] [$1,800]; 9. 17W-Bryan Clauson [8] [$1,600]; 10. 41-Jason Johnson [19] [$1,450]; 11. 1-Sammy Swindell [6] [$1,300]; 12. 29-Kerry Madsen [9] [$1,200]; 13. 82-Dusty Zomer [16] [$1,100]; 14. 55L-Aaron Reutzel [14] [$1,000]; 15. 7-Paul McMahan [20] [$950]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [17] [$900]; 17. 1S-Logan Schuchart [24] [$850]; 18. 24-Terry McCarl [11] [$750]; 19. 2L-Danny Lasoski [18] [$725]; 20. 73-Brady Bacon [15] [$700]; 21. 5-David Gravel [21] [$700]; 22. 18S-Jason Solwold [23] [$700]; 23. 55-Trey Starks [22] [$700]; 24. 11K-Kraig Kinser [13] [$700]. Lap Leaders: Joey Saldana 1-8, Brad Sweet 9-25, Donny Schatz 26-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Jason Johnson [+9]

Qualifying – 1. 83-Joey Saldana, 14.437; 2. 2L-Danny Lasoski, 14.562; 3. 21-Brian Brown, 14.665; 4. 17W-Bryan Clauson, 14.672; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen, 14.677; 6. 5-David Gravel, 14.679; 7. 18-Ian Madsen, 14.689; 8. 49-Brad Sweet, 14.732; 9. 1-Sammy Swindell, 14.786; 10. 24R-Rico Abreu, 14.804; 11. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.915; 12. 82-Dusty Zomer, 14.922; 13. 7S-Jason Sides, 14.938; 14. 9-Daryn Pittman, 14.950; 15. 44W-Austen Wheatley, 14.953; 16. 55-Trey Starks, 14.978; 17. 18S-Jason Solwold, 14.980; 18. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.999; 19. 73-Brady Bacon, 15.031; 20. 7-Paul McMahan, 15.052; 21. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 15.073; 22. 55L-Aaron Reutzel, 15.079; 23. 41-Jason Johnson, 15.101; 24. 2-Shane Stewart, 15.105; 25. 1A-Jacob Allen, 15.111; 26. W20-Greg Wilson, 15.157; 27. 88N-DJ Netto, 15.192; 28. 13-Mark Dobmeier, 15.234; 29. 41X-Dominic Scelzi, 15.290; 30. 68-Chase Johnson, 15.339; 31. O-Bud Kaeding, 15.393; 32. 2LX-Logan Forler, 15.461; 33. 44-Chris Martin, 15.495; 34. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 15.542; 35. 17-Josh Baughman, 15.672; 36. 90-Lance Norick, 15.989

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 83-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 1-Sammy Swindell [3]; 3. 29-Kerry Madsen [2]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 6. 18S-Jason Solwold [5]; 7. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [8]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [7]; 9. 44-Chris Martin [9]

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 2. 24R-Rico Abreu [3]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [4]; 4. 55L-Aaron Reutzel [6]; 5. 2L-Danny Lasoski [1]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9]; 7. 5-David Gravel [2]; 8. 68-Chase Johnson [8]; 9. W20-Greg Wilson [7]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 21-Brian Brown [1]; 2. 18-Ian Madsen [2]; 3. 24-Terry McCarl [3]; 4. 73-Brady Bacon [5]; 5. 41-Jason Johnson [6]; 6. 44W-Austen Wheatley [4]; 7. O-Bud Kaeding [8]; 8. 17-Josh Baughman [9]; 9. 88N-DJ Netto [7]

Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 2. 17W-Bryan Clauson [1]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [6]; 4. 82-Dusty Zomer [3]; 5. 7-Paul McMahan [5]; 6. 13-Mark Dobmeier [7]; 7. 2LX-Logan Forler [8]; 8. 55-Trey Starks [4]; 9. 90-Lance Norick [9]

Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 49-Brad Sweet [3]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 3. 83-Joey Saldana [6]; 4. 24R-Rico Abreu [1]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 6. 1-Sammy Swindell [2]; 7. 18-Ian Madsen [7]; 8. 17W-Bryan Clauson [8]

Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 5-David Gravel [1] [-]; 2. 55-Trey Starks [3] [-]; 3. 18S-Jason Solwold [4] [-]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [14] [-]; 5. O-Bud Kaeding [11] [$300]; 6. 88N-DJ Netto [7] [$250]; 7. 44W-Austen Wheatley [2] [$225]; 8. 2LX-Logan Forler [12] [$200]; 9. 41X-Dominic Scelzi [9] [$200]; 10. 17-Josh Baughman [15] [$200]; 11. 68-Chase Johnson [10] [$200]; 12. 44-Chris Martin [13] [$200]; 13. 1A-Jacob Allen [5] [$200]; 14. 90-Lance Norick [16] [$200]; 15. 13-Mark Dobmeier [8] [$200]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [6] [$200]

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Championship Standings

Beats teammate Daryn Pittman in epic photo finish

PAIGE, Texas — Feb. 26, 2016 — Brad Sweet led just the final lap of the inaugural ATX Rentals Outlaw Shootout feature at Cotton Bowl Speedway Friday night as he outdueled teammate Daryn Pittman on the final turn to capture his third World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series win of the season in a thrilling photo finish.

Sweet, who led the series points coming into the night after he piloted his Razorback/Sage Fruit No. 49 to two victories at the 45th Annual DIRTcar Nationals, posted the sixth fastest time in qualifying then finished second in his heat, putting him in the dash.

The Grass Valley, Calif.-native finished fifth in the dash, while Joey Saldana claimed the top spot in his Roth Enterprises/HR Livestock No. 83, putting him on the pole for the feature event.

Once the green flag fell, Saldana pulled out to an early lead over Daryn Pittman in the Great Clips/Team ASE No. 9. Pittman, who started in the third position, passed the second place starter David Gravel on the initial start.

The race was slowed by three cautions early which gave Pittman the chances he needed to challenge race leader Saldana. Saldana fought Pittman off each time the 2013 series champ tried to muscle his way to the lead. Saldana led the opening 23 laps but was eventually slowed just enough by lapped traffic for Pittman to complete the pass with less than 10 laps remaining.

Pittman enjoyed the top spot for only a few laps as his teammate Sweet applied pressure after he quickly made his way around Saldana for second. Sweet lurked behind Pittman but the leader looked to be the car to beat as the laps winded down.

As the white flag waived, Sweet utilized a run off of turn two to power his way to Pittman’s inside as the leader encountered issues lapped traffic.

Sweet pulled even with Pittman as they entered the final turn. Sweet caught the inside cushion just enough to send his car into Pittman’s as the two made slight contact at the checkered flag.

Sweet bested his teammate by a tenth of a second.

“I just got a really good run off of turn two and I couldn’t really pass it up,” Sweet said. “It’s good that we’re both racing for the win, but I hate to make contact and hopefully there are no hard feelings because I didn’t mean to do that.”

“It’s a long season and we’re off to a good start…(this win) says a lot about Kasey Kahne Racing. It seems like me and Daryn are racing for the win every single night and it’s a testament to our good guys.”

Pittman settled for the runner up position, the second time he has finished second to his teammate with the first coming on the first night of the DIRTcar Nationals.

“We got beat, there’s just no other way to say it,” Pittman said. “Second sucks. There’s too many of these races where our car is good enough to win and I am not finishing the job. I need to figure out what’s wrong and where I am making mistakes to put myself in this position on the last lap.

“This is unacceptable to me. Volusia was unacceptable and here we are two races later letting it happen again. This team deserves better and I am not going to quit or get mad. That’s four races in the last three or four months that I lost off of turn four, leading and being able to see the checkered flag and not getting there first.”

Rounding out the top three was second place starter David Gravel in the Big Game Treestands/JRC No. 5.

“I am so lucky to drive such a good race car,” the native of Watertown, Conn. said. “This early in the year we are running really strong, so I am really looking forward to the rest of the year. We were really close at the end but it’s one of those things where we’ll get a win here shortly.”

Danny Lasoski set the new track record at Cotton Bowl Speedway during time trials with a lap of 13.517 seconds.

The World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series cap off their Texas double header as they head to Royal Purple Raceway located in Baytown, Texas for the O’Reilly Auto Parts presents the World of Outlaws hosted by Kasey Kahne on Saturday night.

Follow the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws, like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws, or check out the latest videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws.

Cotton Bowl Speedway Notebook

RACE NOTES: Brad Sweet picked up his third win in four features so far during the 2016 season. Reigning series champion Donny Schatz has the only other series win… Danny Lasoski set the new track record at Cotton Bowl Speedway during time trials with a lap of 13.517…The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series event at Cotton Bowl Speedway featured the largest ever crowd for the four year old track…Brad Sweet is the only driver so far this season to finish on the podium every night. He is also the season’s laps led leader so far with 47 out front…Paul McMahan has two KSE Racing Hard Charger Awards so far this season.

CONTINGENCY WINNERS – MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): 21T-Ray Kulhanek; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): 49-Brad Sweet; Sweet Manufacturing ($50 cash): N/A; Penske Shocks ($50 cash): 1S-Logan Schuchart; Mobil 1 ($50 cash): 83-Joey Saldana; JE Pistons ($50 cash): 2-Shane Stewart; VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash): 41-Jason Johnson; Edelbrock ($50 cash): 87-Aaron Reutzel; Comp Cams ($50 cash): 87-Aaron Reutzel; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): 7-Paul McMahan; Super Flow ($50 cash): W20-Greg Wilson; Sweet Manufacturing ($50 product certificate): 49-Brad Sweet; KSE Racing Products ($100 product certificate): 7-Paul McMahan; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): 49-Brad Sweet; Mobil 1 (20% off Mobil1RacingStore.com): 21T-Ray Kulhanek; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): 7S-Jason Sides; JE Pistons (Set of Rings): 21T-Ray Kulhanek.

SEASON WINNERS: Brad Sweet – 3 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 13, Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Cotton Bowl Speedway on Feb. 26); Donny Schatz – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14).

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Cotton Bowl Speedway; Paige, Texas; Feb. 26, 2016

A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 49-Brad Sweet [5] [$10,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [3]; 3. 5-David Gravel [2]; 4. 83-Joey Saldana [1]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [13]; 6. 2-Shane Stewart [9]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [4]; 8. 41-Jason Johnson [7]; 9. 33-Danny Lasoski [6]; 10. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8]; 11. 17W-Bryan Clauson [15]; 12. 7-Paul McMahan [22]; 13. 19M-Brent Marks [19]; 14. 1-Sammy Swindell [11]; 15. W20-Greg Wilson [23]; 16. 7S-Jason Sides [18]; 17. 2C-Wayne Johnson [12]; 18. 8M-T.J. Michael [20]; 19. 24-Terry McCarl [14]; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser [21]; 21. 21T-Ray Kulhanek [10]; 22. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [24]; 23. 31B-Sheldon Haudenschild [17]; 24. 82-Dusty Zomer [16]. Lap Leaders: Joey Saldana 1-23, Daryn Pittman 24-29, Brad Sweet 30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 7-Paul McMahan [+10]

Qualifying – 1. 33-Danny Lasoski, 13.517; 2. 5-David Gravel, 13.558; 3. 17W-Bryan Clauson, 13.656; 4. 83-Joey Saldana, 13.678; 5. 9-Daryn Pittman, 13.681; 6. 49-Brad Sweet, 13.746; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 13.788; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 13.792; 9. 2-Shane Stewart, 13.803; 10. 21T-Ray Kulhanek, 13.808; 11. 41-Jason Johnson, 13.852; 12. 2C-Wayne Johnson, 13.881; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 13.921; 14. 7S-Jason Sides, 13.982; 15. 1-Sammy Swindell, 14.006; 16. 7-Paul McMahan, 14.020; 17. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.077; 18. 24-Terry McCarl, 14.096; 19. 19-Klint Angelette, 14.107; 20. 82-Dusty Zomer, 14.173; 21. 31B-Sheldon Haudenschild, 14.219; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen, 14.222; 23. 19M-Brent Marks, 14.340; 24. W20-Greg Wilson, 14.364; 25. 88-Scottie McDonald, 14.370; 26. 45X-Johnny Herrera, 14.371; 27. 17-Josh Baughman, 14.431; 28. 8M-T.J. Michael, 14.482; 29. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, 14.517; 30. 33M-Jon Agan, 14.826; 31. 13-Clyde Knipp, 15.257; 32. 17X-Dustin Gates, 16.012.

Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 33-Danny Lasoski [1]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 3. 2-Shane Stewart [3]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [4]; 5. 31B-Sheldon Haudenschild [6]; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5]; 7. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [8]; 8. 88-Scottie McDonald [7]

Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 5-David Gravel [1]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [2]; 3. 21T-Ray Kulhanek [3]; 4. 24-Terry McCarl [5]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [4]; 6. 45X-Johnny Herrera [7]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [6]; 8. 33M-Jon Agan [8]

Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson [3]; 3. 1-Sammy Swindell [4]; 4. 17W-Bryan Clauson [1]; 5. 19M-Brent Marks [6]; 6. 19-Klint Angelette [5]; 7. 13-Clyde Knipp [8]; 8. 17-Josh Baughman [7]

Heat 4 – (8 Laps – Top 5 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 83-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 3. 2C-Wayne Johnson [3]; 4. 82-Dusty Zomer [5]; 5. 8M-T.J. Michael [7]; 6. W20-Greg Wilson [6]; 7. 7-Paul McMahan [4]; 8. 17X-Dustin Gates [8]

Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 8 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 83-Joey Saldana [1]; 2. 5-David Gravel [3]; 3. 9-Daryn Pittman [5]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart [2]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [6]; 6. 33-Danny Lasoski [4]; 7. 41-Jason Johnson [7]; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel [8]

Last Chance Showdown – (12 Laps – Top 4 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 2. 7-Paul McMahan [1]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [5]; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr [9]; 5. 45X-Johnny Herrera [7]; 6. 17-Josh Baughman [8]; 7. 1A-Jacob Allen [4]; 8. 17X-Dustin Gates [12]; 9. 19-Klint Angelette [3]; 10. 33M-Jon Agan [10]; 11. 13-Clyde Knipp [11]; 12. 88-Scottie McDonald [6]

World of Outlaws Craftsman® Sprint Car Series Championship Standings

CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park

Phoenix, AZ
Feb.  26-28, 2016

Photos courtesy of Gary Nastase Photography for media use only

* * * *

COURTNEY FORCE NO. 1 ON FRIDAY AT PHOENIX

PHOENIX – Courtney Force and the Traxxas team pushed their Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to the No. 1 position today at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals with a killer 3.930 ET at 323.97 mph. Not only did it hold through two qualifying sessions, but it was a track elapsed time record for the Funny Car category at Wild Horse Pass Motorsport Park.

“It’s definitely what we hoped for. When we came out here and tested a few weeks back, we were running pretty consistently. We stumbled a little bit at first and then kind of got the car figured out and started running pretty consistent in the 3.0s so I was excited to come back to this track. I was hoping we could carry it over to Pomona, but I was really excited to get back here because we felt comfortable here, we made good runs and the track heated up quite a little bit, but it was definitely a run we were looking for so I’m really excited,” said the fourth year Funny Car driver.

In the second session, Force did not have the opportunity to improve. Her Traxxas Chevy had a cylinder out and she shut it off, but luckily she didn’t need to improve. She kept a solid hold on the No. 1 position going into Saturday’s two additional qualifying sessions.

“In Q2, that’s not what we were looking to do,” said Force. “It dropped a hole and I had to get out of it pretty early, but I’m just excited that our Traxxas car, The Fastest Name in Radio Control, was able to hold onto that top spot for the time being. I know a lot of the other drivers were creeping up there. I hope we get another shot tomorrow to push this car even harder and see what kind of numbers we can put on the board.”

“I hope it holds, but honestly I think a lot of these drivers, especially after the two runs today and a couple of them that stepped up, I think you’ll see some faster runs tomorrow. Our game plan is stepping our own Chevy up and getting it in the top even after those guys run good numbers. We’ll do the best we can. I’m just excited to be out here and back in Phoenix. It’s a good track and I’m ready to put on a good show for the fans out here,” said Force.

If Force’s time holds through tomorrow, this will be her tenth No. 1 qualifier. Despite narrowly missing the Countdown to the Championship in 2015, Force kept a firm hold on the record for most Funny Car wins in a season by a female (four) and most Funny Car wins overall for a female Funny Car driver with seven career tour victories.

“Last season was pretty tough, mentally really. But we were just pushing through and really just focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel. I think it took a whole new season and coming out with a fresh start. Just seeing the car perform, I don’t care if its race day or not, I just love getting it down to the other end of the race track. It definitely feels good from a driver standpoint and I think it’s getting my whole team motivated. We’ll see what we can do with it.

“I’ve got a great group of guys on my team and Ronnie Thompson and Dan Hood working on my car as co-crew chiefs. It definitely feels awesome. This is a great start for our season so far and picking up bonus points, every little point counts. I learned that last year with not making it into the top ten. We’re definitely in full focus trying to pick up every point we can and just really try to get this car running more consistent. I think that’s the main thing. It doesn’t really matter what kind of number you put on the board if it’s top number or what as long as you can get the car running round after round. That’s all that matters on race day,” said Force.

The team tested their Chevrolet Funny Cars in Phoenix before the season began. After a few attempts, the young driver was making impressive full pulls which led to a career-best 3.890 seconds at 323.89 mph.

“I’m just the pilot in the car taking it down there for a ride. I’m very lucky; I’m very fortunate. I’ve got a lot of great guys on all the John Force Racing teams; a lot of crew chiefs. We’re just excited that we were able to carry (testing success) over and continue the momentum into this race weekend and hopefully it will show on race day,” said Force.

John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze/Republic Services Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car started the day as the provisional No. 3 qualifier after the first session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Force tripped the finish line timing system with a solid 3.990 seconds which was third quickest of the session and good for one qualifying bonus point.

In the second qualifying session Force was lined up beside Tim Wilkerson and Force improved in elapsed time with a 3.973 second run at 321.12 mph but slipped to No. 5 in the qualifying order. Force and teammate Robert Hight had the exact same elapsed time but Force had the faster speed and got the higher qualifying spot.

“It was exciting today. We had a lot of PEAK customers here and some of the Chevrolet people were over here from the Indy Car testing. To go out there and put our race cars all up in the top five or six with Republic Services on my Camaro is great. That is our job and what we are paid to do. We didn’t clean up the race track like they (Republic Services) clean up the city but we did OK,” said Force, an eight time winner at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

The Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team ended the day on a decent run but it was the overall attitude of the team that had Robert Hight motivated to get back to the track. In the first session Hight’s Funny Car dropped a cylinder early in the run wounding the 10,000 hp engine. The team dove into midday repairs with ease and as the Funny Car pulled up to the starting line Hight was looking forward to making a solid run.

“We dropped a cylinder on our first run and we came right back with an aggressive tune up in the second session. I think there is more out there. What I like is the attitude of this Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro team. We came right back after that first run and got to work and we were ready to go for the second session,” said Hight. “Mike Neff has a great handle on the tune up and you see it in how well all our race cars are running. I am excited to get back to the track tomorrow and try and move up in the qualifying order.”

Hight’s second run of the day was a solid 3.973 second run and he was pair of the quickest side by side run of the day in Funny Car.

The Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster picked up today where it left off three weeks ago at testing posting quick numbers and turning heads. Brittany Force blasted to the provisional No. 3 spot after the first session and that solid qualifying effort gave crew chief Brian Husen the confidence to use the second session as a go big or go home run. Force was paired up with Doug Kalitta and the Mac Tools dragster in the last pairing of the day. It was obvious at the hit of the throttle that both Top Fuelers were loaded up to make a run at the No. 1 spot but both smoked the tires with very aggressive tune-ups.

“It feels good to be back in Phoenix after being here a few weeks ago for testing. The first run it went right down there and put us No. 3. It was great to run 3.80 especially in the heat. We wanted to step it up on that second run but unfortunately we went up into tire smoke,” said Force. “We get two more runs tomorrow and we are in the top half of the field which is most important. You have to try and make moves and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Force will have confidence and the provisional No. 5 spot on her side when she returns to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park tomorrow.

“It always feels good to have that option to be aggressive on that last run. You don’t want to be in a situation where you have to make a good run to get into the show. It feels good to start out near the top and be able to be aggressive,” added Force.

* * * *

NHRA ON TV

Feb. 27 Qualifying     10PM – 12AM ET/7PM – 9PM PT (FS1)

Feb. 28 Finals            5PM – 8PM ET/2PM – 5PM PT (FS1)    LIVE

THE DRIVERS

JOHN FORCE, 66, PEAK Antifreeze/Republic Services Chevrolet Camaro SS

Qualifying: 5^th at 3.973 seconds, 321.12 mph

Bonus Qualifying Points: +1 (3^rd quickest of Q1)

ROBERT HIGHT, 46, Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS
Qualifying: 6^th at 3.973 seconds, 319.14 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0

COURTNEY FORCE, 27, Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS
Qualifying: 1^st at 3.930 seconds, 323.97 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +3 (Quickest of Q1)

BRITTANY FORCE, 29, Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster

Qualifying: 5^th at 3.800 seconds, 320.05 mph

Bonus Qualifying Points: +1 (3^rd quickest of Q1)

* * * *

PHOENIX (February 24, 2016) —- Even though John Force’s last victory at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals happened in 2001 the seven-time winner knows that the winner’s circle is always right around the corner. Force raced to seven wins in eight seasons at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park from 1994 through 2001. In addition to those wins Force also has five additional runner-up finishes most recently in 2010 the year he won his 15^th Mello Yello Funny Car championship. The winningest driver in NHRA history enjoys racing in Phoenix and is eager to get to the track this weekend for the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

“I have had a lot of success at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. We have match-raced there, tested there and I’ve won the national event there. I am part Indian from my mom who was from Oklahoma and I love being in the desert. My hot rod ran good in testing a few weeks ago and we were pretty good in Pomona to start the season. I love being around these young kids on my team and they give me heart,” said Force, who currently sits No. 4 in the Mello Yello Funny Car points.

Last year was a struggle for Force with the switch to a new manufacturer and a new primary sponsor for over half the races with PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant. The remaining races where picked up by Chevrolet, Traxxas, and Lucas Oil but in 2016 Force is excited to be in the blue PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for the full season. The marketing partnership has grown and is expanding thanks to the efforts of Bryan Emrich, PEAK Chief Marketing officer and Force’s salesmanship.

“Bryan Emrich the Chief Marketing Officer for PEAK told me when we started working with PEAK that we were going to market differently. Boy has he proven it since B to B is what it is all about. Seeing my Funny Car emblazed with Republic Services on the side is exciting. I am from the old world,” said John Force, 143-time Funny Car winner. “I have done everything from selling shoes to working at Taco Bell and Denny’s. I drive a race car now but I have delivered money all over downtown LA with Garrett Freight Liners that came from the mint in Denver. I have never driven a trash truck and I am hoping to get the opportunity to ride along or drive a Republic Services truck when we are in Phoenix.”

For Force working with sponsors comes as naturally as turning on win lights. Last year Force picked up two wins in four final round appearances. For many drivers that would be a solid season but for a driver who has amassed 143 wins over the past three decades Force is looking for a turn-around season in 2016. He knows that his young team led by second year crew chief Jon Schaffer is up to the task.

“Last year we had a new car, new sponsors and I had a whole new team led by Jon Schaffer. He really impressed me with his work ethic and how well he worked with our brain-trust led by Mike Neff. I feel really good about this season and I think you saw good results in Pomona. We are running with everybody. Robert is quick and so is Courtney. My hot rod was running good in qualifying and on race day so we will be in the hunt this weekend,” added Force.

“I am excited to be starting the race week at Henry Brown Chevrolet in Casa Grande on Thursday night. Robert and I will be there from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. signing autographs and then we will get to work at the race track on Friday.”

HIGHT HOPES DAYTONA MOTIVATION DRIVES HIM TO PHOENIX WINNER’S CIRCLE

PHOENIX (February 24, 2016) — 2009 NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight spent his off weekend between the Winternationals and the upcoming Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals checking an event off his sport bucket list. Hight was in sunny Florida last weekend for the annual running of the Daytona 500 representing John Force Racing, NHRA, Auto Club, and Chevrolet. It was not the first NASCAR race for Hight but it was his first trip to Daytona and it made an impression.

“That facility is amazing. It is a state of the art stadium. The whole experience was awesome. I met a lot of fans and talked about NHRA and our new FOX TV show. There was a lot of positive feedback coming out of the first race in Pomona. I usually go to these races with John (Force) and he gets a lot of attention but I was surprised that a lot of the fans recognized me and wanted to talk about NHRA and especially the first race,” said Hight.

While Hight was in Daytona he took some time to walk the garage area and talk with some of the mechanics and crew guys he had met at previous trips to NASCAR races. There are similarities between the two series and Hight enjoyed talking wrenches and tune-ups.

“Getting to spend some time in the garage area was definitely a highlight. We see some of the guys from other teams when we race in Charlotte for the Four-Wide or the Charlotte Countdown race. I am impressed with how much they can do in the garage area and also out on the track. They are also really amazed by how quickly we can tear down an engine and get it back together. We are a lot more than gas and go on our pit stops of course,” added Hight.

Hight will take some of the race day excitement from Daytona with him to Phoenix where he raced to a semi-final finish last season after qualifying No. 10. Hight had to race both of his Funny Car teammates in the first two rounds before losing to 2015 Funny Car champion Del Worsham in the semis. It was Hight’s second straight semi-final to start the 2015 season and this year the Auto Club Chevrolet driver also started the season with a semi-final finish.

“Last year we made a quick start with some semi-final finishes and even a runner-up in Las Vegas but we didn’t get our usual win total and we were behind on performance. We made up a lot of ground at the end of the season and over the winter. We are running with the top teams again and I made career best runs in testing, 3.88 seconds, and to start the season in Pomona, 3.913 seconds. I feel great about where this Auto Club team is coming into Phoenix,” said Hight, the 2012 Carquest Auto Parts Nationals winner.

Once again Hight will spend some time with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the race enjoying a few hours at the Spring Training facility with friend and Dodgers player Justin Turner. The diversion helps Hight get focused on his job this weekend.

“You have to be focused to race NASCAR or play in MLB but I think the focus you have to have on the starting line is so important now in NHRA. Races are being decided by thousandths of a second and that all comes down to driver reaction time and driving skill. I am always looking to get better and talking with NASCAR drivers or baseball player or John Force definitely helps,” summed up Hight.

COURTNEY FORCE READY FOR FAST START AGAIN IN PHOENIX

(PHOENIX) February 24, 2016 —- In 2015 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Courtney Force rocketed to the top of the Funny Car field on Friday with a 3.996 second pass, only her second run in the three second range after qualifying on the pole earlier that month at the 2015 Winternationals. She was bumped to the No. 2 position on Saturday which was her best qualifying effort to date at Phoenix.

This week, the Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team will return to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals and once again try to beat out the competition for the No. 1 spot.

“We had a great start at this race last year, qualifying towards the top and running my Traxxas car in the 3’s to do it,” said the 2012 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner for NHRA’s Rookie of the Year. “Going into the race this weekend I’m so excited because we recently tested on this track prior to the season opener and learned a lot of things here that I think could only benefit us this weekend. During testing we got this Traxxas Camaro SS Funny Car to consistently run in the 3’s so we are hoping to carry that rhythm over this weekend.”

This is Force’s fifth professional NHRA season in the Funny Car ranks. In that time, she has picked up seven national event wins to make her the winningest female Funny Car driver in history, and sped to No. 1 qualifier nine times. Force is also right on the cusp of more female Funny Car history since she is just three round wins away from 100 Funny Car round wins. Only her sister Ashley Force Hood has more (105).

Two weeks ago at Pomona for the season-opening Winternationals, Force qualified her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car in the top half of the field in the No. 6 position and picked up five bonus points throughout qualifying. She went into race day with lane choice over Gary Densham, who wasn’t able to make the round. Force posted her career-best numbers in that round and moved on to the quarterfinals against teammate Robert Hight.

“I was extremely nervous going into the opening race, but ready for a fresh start. I loved being back in the seat of my car and with my team and excited to have Ronnie Thompson on board joining Dan Hood on the crew chief side. We did have a number of changes with the car and the team and so far everything has worked together great. I think our team will only be stronger after the hardships of last season. We had a lot of tough hurdles, but I think this will benefit us in the long run and hopefully make us unstoppable this year” said Force.

The Traxxas machine lived up to The Fastest Name in Radio Control when Force posted her career-best ET and speed on the single run. Her 3.925 ET at 329.34 mph was low ET and quickest of race day, but Hight dismissed her in the second round. She says she’s confident in her team and her crew chiefs to keep the Traxxas Chevy running consistent so she can tackle her ninth Funny Car win this season.

“The toughest race is against a teammate. For me, I know the teams my dad and Robert have behind them and I know they’ve got great race cars. I faced this challenge last year in the second round against Robert at Phoenix and again last weekend in Pomona. We had a problem with our car dropping a cylinder last weekend so I need to be on my game this weekend.  If we can keep the car running solid, consistent passes, we can be ready for rounds like that. These are the challenges with every opponent, but it is especially difficult with a teammate and we just have to fight even harder to get around them.

Even though we didn’t get past Robert on race day, we found the problem, fixed it, and we’re ready for Wild Horse Pass,” said Force.

BRITTANY FORCE READY TO RISE AT CARQUEST NATIONALS IN PHOENIX

PHOENIX (February 24, 2016) — In her previous three appearances at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park Brittany Force has had moderate but not total success. The Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster team will return to the desert this weekend with the same game plan they took to the season opening race in Pomona. Starting on Friday at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals the team will focus on making consistent and quick passes each round of qualifying and then bearing down for a long day on race day.

“I am always proud of my whole Monster Energy team. They have been working their butts off all off-season. We made a lot of changes and a lot of them had to do with getting me comfortable in the dragster. I know we are going to have a good year and we are just getting started. We had some qualifying success in Pomona but struggled on race day. We will let it go and move on to Phoenix,” said Force.

Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is the site of Force’s first career Top Fuel final round. In just the second race of her sophomore season Force qualified No. 10 and then took out Dave Grubnic, Tony Schumacher, and Steve Torrence before losing a close final round to veteran Antron Brown. Brown would become somewhat of a final round nemesis after that race as Force lost later that season to Brown in the Chicago final round and again last year in the Englishtown final. In fact the pair have raced six times with three of those races coming in the final round. Force does a short win streak started with her semi-final victory against Brown at last year’s Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd.

“I have raced and tested at Phoenix a lot so I feel comfortable here. You get asked if because you had success at a track do you think you can repeat that success and I don’t know if that is the case. Every season is different but we were just in Phoenix testing and I feel good coming back here. It is easier to stay in a racing groove when you go from testing to Pomona and then we are right back in Phoenix,” added Force.

This season Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel team have a new crew chief in Brian Husen who will work with Top Fuel consultant Alan Johnson to get the team race ready. Force has also ready enjoyed performance success with the new duo in charge of the JFR Top Fuel program. At the Circle K NHRA Winternationals the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster made five consecutive quality runs and they hope to continue that learning curve headed into Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park this weekend.

“The biggest thing for me is consistency and learning this new dragster. So much was changed inside the race car over the off-season that I am still get comfortable,” said Force, who has raced to six final rounds in her career. “Two weeks ago in Pomona it was great to come out and make quick runs and get some qualifying bonus points. All those points add up and we are in the Top Ten after the first race because of our qualifying success. I have so much confidence coming into this race that I am looking forward to Friday’s first qualifying session.”

PHOENIX (February 24, 2016) —- Even though John Force’s last victory at the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals happened in 2005 the eight-time winner knows that the winner’s circle is always right around the corner. Force raced to seven wins in eight seasons at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park from 1994 through 2001. In addition to those wins Force also has five additional runner-up finishes most recently in 2010 the year he won his 15^th Mello Yello Funny Car championship. The winningest driver in NHRA history enjoys racing in Phoenix and is eager to get to the track this weekend for the Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

“I have had a lot of success at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. We have match-raced there, tested there and I’ve won the national event there. I am part Indian from my mom who was from Oklahoma and I love being in the desert. My hot rod ran good in testing a few weeks ago and we were pretty good in Pomona to start the season. I love being around these young kids on my team and they give me heart,” said Force, who currently sits No. 4 in the Mello Yello Funny Car points.

Last year was a struggle for Force with the switch to a new manufacturer and a new primary sponsor for over half the races with PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant. The remaining races where picked up by Chevrolet, Traxxas, and Lucas Oil but in 2016 Force is excited to be in the blue PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for the full season. The marketing partnership has grown and is expanding thanks to the efforts of Bryan Emrich, PEAK Chief Marketing officer and Force’s salesmanship.

“Bryan Emrich the Chief Marketing Officer for PEAK told me when we started working with PEAK that we were going to market differently. Boy has he proven it since B to B is what it is all about. Seeing my Funny Car emblazed with Republic Services on the side is exciting. I am from the old world,” said John Force, 143-time Funny Car winner. “I have done everything from selling shoes to working at Taco Bell and Denny’s. I drive a race car now but I have delivered money all over downtown LA with Garrett Freight Liners that came from the mint in Denver. I have never driven a trash truck and I am hoping to get the opportunity to ride along or drive a Republic Services truck when we are in Phoenix.”

For Force working with sponsors comes as naturally as turning on win lights. Last year Force picked up two wins in four final round appearances. For many drivers that would be a solid season but for a driver who has amassed 143 wins over the past three decades Force is looking for a turn-around season in 2016. He knows that his young team led by second year crew chief Jon Schaffer is up to the task.

“Last year we had a new car, new sponsors and I had a whole new team led by Jon Schaffer. He really impressed me with his work ethic and how well he worked with our brain-trust led by Mike Neff. I feel really good about this season and I think you saw good results in Pomona. We are running with everybody. Robert is quick and so is Courtney. My hot rod was running good in qualifying and on race day so we will be in the hunt this weekend,” added Force.

“I am excited to be starting the race week at Henry Brown Chevrolet in Casa Grande on Thursday night. Robert and I will be there from 4:30 until 6:00 p.m. signing autographs and then we will get to work at the race track on Friday.”