On May 17, 2017 Dave Grayson aka "Dusty Old Dave" lost his battle with Cancer. Dave was well known in Ridgecrest, CA as a DJ, Musician and Independent Race Car Reporter. A Go Fund Me account has been setup for Dave's funeral expenses. All donations will go through long time companion, Virginia Murray, to pay for the funeral expenses.

https://www.gofundme.com/Dusty-Old-Dave?pc=tw_dn_cpgntopnavlarge_r&rcid=r01-149516751509-58b9f26ae8e9442e

EUREKA, CA (May 13, 2017) – The second race of the 2017 season at Redwood Acres Raceway took place this past Saturday night. It was the annual Pepsi Night at the races and another packed house witnessed another memorable night that featured exciting racing and some scary incidents.

In the Nor-Cal Automotive Legends division, Cody Winchel set quick time with a 17.888. Winchel followed up his fast time with a win in the trophy dash. M’Kinzy Uselton won her first ever race in the first heat while Winchel took the second. Two rookies in Uselton and Dominic Vogelsang led the field to the green in the 25-lap feature. Uselton took the initial lead but lost it on lap three to Brad Curtice. Spins by Robert Miller in turn two and Vogelsang didn’t result in caution flags. Curtice had a firm hold on the lead until lap 10 when Uselton spun out.

After another caution, Winchel was able to take the lead on the restart and pulled to a commanding lead. Brent Mack suffered a massive engine failure on lap 19 which brought out the red flag. When racing resumed, Winchel reasserted himself as the top competitor and was able to take the win. Brad Curtice placed second while Miller, Anissa Curtice and Mack rounded out the top five.

Donnie Brown was subbing for Jim Redd in the Fortuna Wheel & Brake bomber class and he set fast time for the night with a 18.400. Brown took the win in the trophy dash while Raymond Taylor won a spirited heat race. Ray Rapp was driving his daughter Bethany’s car for the night. He along with James Moore led the field to the green flag. The race was slowed on lap four when Jimmy Sorrels car stopped in the infield. Brown took the race lead on the restart but on lap seven, Moore maneuvered into first.

While moving through slower traffic, Moore tried to pass Chris Naughton on the outside of turn four. Unfortunately the two got together and hit the wall forcing both drivers out of the race. Brown resumed as race leader but spun in turns three and four on lap 20 giving Rapp the lead. With two laps remaining, Lally was able to get by Rapp for what proved to be the race win. At the checkered it was Lally winning over Rapp, Brown, Taylor and Moore.

Qualifying for the Humboldt Hydroponics mini stock division was paced by Brian Murrell, Sr. with a 18.855. Brett Murrell was the trophy dash winner while heat race winners were Trevor Eacert and Brett Murrell. Cole Peterson and Troy Lee led the field to the green in the 25-lap main event. After two early cautions, Murrell, Sr. took the lead from Lee as Murrell followed into second.

The middle stages of the main featured a spectacular duel between the father and son duo of Brian and Brett Murrell. On lap nine, Brett moved to the lead. A lap later, the lead exchanged yet again with Brian getting the upper-hand. On lap 12, Brett made what proved to be the winning move for the lead. A late caution due to a spin by Lee in turn four bunched the field but Murrell was able to hold off all challengers. At the finish it was Brett Murrell winning followed by Brian Murrell, Sr., Jarrett Mayo, Eugene Palmer and Trevor Eacert.

Paul Peeples, Jr. set fast time for the Lone Star Junction Thunder Roadster division with a 17.188. Ronnie O’Neil took the trophy dash win while the heat race went to Peeples. Jason Mitchell and Chris Sarvinski paced the field to the green in the 30-lap feature. The race proved to be caution-free as Sarvinski took the lead from the start over O’Neil. On lap four, O’Neil moved under and by Sarvinski and pulled out to a substantial lead. As the race progressed however, Peeples was able to close the gap. With five laps remaining, the margin between first and second was barely a car length. O’Neil was able to withstand the pressure from Peeples and took the feature win. Payne placed third over Sarvinski and Corey Toole.

Fast time for the California State and Federal Employee’s Credit Union roadrunners was set by Daniel Buell with a lap of 20.518. Buell followed his fast time up with wins in the trophy dash and heat race. Natya Hanson and Jennifer Murrell led the field for the 20-lap feature. The first 10 laps were raced in reverse fashion and immediately Buell took the lead and ran away from the field.

Even after reversing the course and going in the normal direction, Buell was dominant. Nick Ford made up ground in the final few laps and by the last lap, the two were less than a car length between each other. Coming off turn four, Ford made a last ditch effort for the win. Buell and Ford raced side-by-side to the checkered flag with Buell edging Ford. Jake Keeling took third while Jordon Paiment placed fourth and Tim Ratzlaff fifth.

The second race of the Super 6 Late Model Challenge Series presented by Danielson Construction, Mid-City Motor World and North Coast Lighting & Electric took place on the night. Brandon White set the pace for the field of 17 cars with a time of 15.759. The heat races determined the starting lineup for the 75-lap feature. Heat race one was won by Northern California racing legend, Jim Walker while the second heat was won by Riley Watson.

Mic Moulton used the outside pole position to his advantage as he shot out to the lead at the drop of the green flag. On lap nine, third place starter and winner of the first Super 6 race, White took the lead. White looked to have the dominant car yet again as he led the majority of the first half of the event. Fan favorite Walker lasted only 20 laps before he pulled into the pits for the night. By lap 25, Brandon Ash had moved his way to second and began slowly gaining ground on White. On lap 40, Ash maneuvered by White for the race lead. A few laps later, White pulled into the pits with problems. Ash looked to have the race in hand until a caution flew on lap 68 due to fluid on the track. It was determined that the fluid was coming from Ash’s car and the Oregon driver was forced out of the race.

Watson inherited the lead and had a duel with Moulton and Marty Walsh. Coming off turn four on lap 69, Walsh and Watson got together. Walsh slide into the infield and back onto the track in turn one collecting Watson. Both drivers hit the turn one and two wall hard but thankfully neither was injured. Moulton took the lead and held off David Henderson’s charge in the final handful of laps to take the victory. Eric Gannon placed third while Kenny Demello had another stellar run in fourth and Richard Knight took fifth.

Racing at the Acres takes a break and will return for a special Sunday afternoon race on Memorial Day weekend May 28th. Legends, bombers, Thunder Roadsters, mini stocks and roadrunners will be in action along with the North State Modified Series. For those who are looking for a racing fix during the break, RAR will host the first outlaw kart action of the season Saturday May 20th. The season opener was originally scheduled for May 12th but was cancelled due to rain. For more information of everything going on at Redwood Acres Raceway, please visit the track’s official website, www.RacingTheAcres.com

Veteran driver, Sal Lopez of Sacramento will be competing in the O'Reilly Nor-Cal 60 at Redwood Acres Raceway May 28th when the North State Modified Series rolls into town

The North State Modified Series, presented by Protect the Harvest, moves north to Redwood Acres Raceway in Eureka this Memorial Day weekend for a full program of auto racing Sunday night, May 28. A Saturday afternoon practice will be held on the 3/8 mile paved oval from 1pm until 6pm. Redwood Acres Raceway is located on the Redwood Acres Fairgrounds at 3750 Harris Street.

The O'Reilly Nor-Cal 60 lap feature will pay $1000 to the winner. The Lucas Oil Dash for Cash contenders run for $100 to win and $50 for second place. In addition, the top 15 drivers in the NSMS points standings will share in the $2500 Lucas Oil Tow Money program, and every driver that enters the event gets $100 bonus tow money.

This is race #3 for the traveling modified series. The first event was held at All American Speedway in Roseville. Darrin Knight of Kelseyville was the winner of that feature. The second race was at Lakeport Speedway, the smallest track on the circuit. Knight also won that race after mechanical problems eliminated Kyle Tellstrom and Charlie Collins while running one, two.

Knight's victories place him on top of the NSMS points standings with Darin Snider in second, Charlie Collins third, Eric Johnson fourth and Cameron Austin fifth. In only two outings, 28 drivers have earned NSMS points.

The North State Modified Series will join the local bombers, road runners, thunder roadsters, legends cars and mini stocks. For more information visit the North State Modified Series Facebook page or call the NSMS business office at 707-2724-1662.

The North State Modified Series is presented by: Protect the Harvest, Lucas Oil, Sinister Diesel, Penney Racing Supply, American Racer Tires, Naake Suspension, Sunoco Race Fuels, Five Star Bodies, Racer Bling, Keyser Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, DJ Safety, and the Buckhorn Bar & Grill.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA (May 17, 2017) - The Pacific Challenge Series presented by PenneyLawyers.com will hold its third race of 2017 and the first round of the Tri-Holiday Classic Series on Saturday night at Stockton 99 Speedway. The historic quarter-mile has been a mainstay in the series and will again host PCS races on, or near, all three major holiday weekends - Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day.

This weekend's race will be a 100 lap contest joined by the track's fast growing Stockton Late Model division, Bombers, and the Legends of the Pacific.

A second place finish at Shasta and a third place effort at Madera has 2015 PCS champion John Moore of Granite Bay sitting atop the series standings. Moore won the 2015 July Tri-Holiday race at Stockton and is eager to return to victory lane at a track where he has extensive experience. Moore has six PCS starts at the speedway including a win and five top-fives.

2014 PCS champion Mike Beeler of Modesto won the 2016 July Tri-Holiday race and the 2015 September Tri-Holiday race. He has finished in the top-two in the points in all three of his full-time seasons in the PCS and currently ranks second in 2017. Beeler's Stockton resume includes nine starts, two wins, five top-fives, and eight top-tens.

Third in the championship standings is Jason Romero of El Dorado Hills. The four time Roseville winner in 2016 has had a remarkable streak of wins and fast-times in the last two years. He has set the fast-time or track record at four of the five tracks on the circuit including fast-time in his Stockton debut last September. Romero recovered from early race spin to finish second in the season opener at Madera and salvaged a top-ten after a flat tire at Shasta.

Galt's Matt Wendt is fourth in the points standings with the two-time Super Stock Tri-Holiday champion poised for a strong performance on Saturday night at his home track. Wendt was unable to close out a top-five finish in the three Stockton events last year despite running within the top-five in each race.

Rounding out the top-five in the points is Travis Milburn. The Eagle, ID driver who graduated from St. Mary's College won Tri-Holiday #3 last September. He rebounded from a 12th place run to start the year at Madera by scoring a solid fourth place finish at Shasta. His rookie teammate and cousin Jack Wood ranks sixth in the standings and also lead the Rookie of the Year battle with Watsonville's Alexander Mead.

Valley Springs' Tracy Bolin has been snake-bitten with gremlins this year but has managed seventh in the points with 2015 Rookie of the Year Cole Moore of Granite Bay, Chris Scribner of Loomis, and Madera winner Carlos Vieira rounding out the top-ten. Engine troubles at Shasta have sunk Mead and Elk Grove's Mike Hite to 12th and 14th respectively.

JD Motorsports, led by two-time PCS champion Jeremy Doss, intends to make their presence felt at Stockton Saturday night. Doss is a the three-time Stockton PCS winner while his teammate Jeff Bischofberger has won an SRL event at the quarter-mile. Fresh off his Shasta Speedway victory, Derek Copeland of Anderson, CA looks to maintain the momentum as he makes his first Late Model start at Stockton. Hayward's Danny Malfatti is also expected to return to competition along with long-time Stockton driver Ross Strmiska who has made seven PCS starts at Stockton with four top-tens.

Activities get underway on Friday with practice. Gates open at noon with cars on the track at 4 p.m. Pit gates open at 1 p.m. on Saturday with the first practices at 3 p.m. The grandstands open at 5 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m. Pit passes are $40 per day for members but two-day passes will be at the member price for $80.

Grandstand tickets are $20 for Adults 16+, while Jr. 11-15, Military with ID, and Seniors 60+ are $15. Kids 10 and under are free. A family pack for 2 Adults and 2 Jr. is $55.

Stockton 99 Speedway is located off Wilson Way and Highway 99. For more information, visit www.Stockton99.com

For more information on the Pacific Challenge Series, visit www.PacificChallengeSeries.com or follow them on Facebook or YouTube

The Pacific Challenge Series is presented by: Penney Racing Supply, Penney & Associates, American Racer Tires, Law Talk, Compact-It, Northwest Compactors, Naake Suspension, Sunoco Fuels, Five Star Bodies, BrakeOMeter, Lefthander Chassis, ARP Bodies, Joes Racing Products, Bassett Wheels, Frank's Radio, WrapStar Pro, and Blakesley Sports Media. All PCS Super Late Models race ABC Bodies or Muscle Car bodies on American Racer Tires with Sunoco Racing Fuel.

2017 Pacific Challenge Series Schedule
Subject to change

March 18th - Madera Speedway (Madera, CA) Winner: Carlos Vieira

April 15th - All American Speedway (Roseville, CA) *POSTPONED, New date TBA*

May 6th - Shasta Speedway (Anderson, CA) Winner: Derek Copeland

May 20th - Stockton 99 Speedway (Stockton, CA)

June 17th - All American Speedway (Roseville, CA)

July 1st - Stockton 99 Speedway (Stockton, CA) Ron Strmiska Memorial

July 29th - Ukiah Speedway (Ukiah, CA)

August 12th - Madera Speedway (Madera, CA)

September 2nd - Stockton 99 Speedway (Stockton, CA)

October 14th - All American Speedway (Roseville, CA) *2017 Championship Finale* w/ North State Modified Series & NASCAR K&N Pro Series, West)

PCS Track Stats - Stockton

#75 Jeremy Doss
Starts: 9, Wins: 3, Top-Fives: 5, Top-Tens: 6

#6 Mike Beeler
Starts: 9, Wins: 2, Top-Fives: 5, Top-Tens: 8

#70 Mike Hite
Starts: 8, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 1, Top-Tens: 4

#90 Ross Strmiska
Starts: 7, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 2, Top-Tens: 4

#37 JR Courage
Starts: 7, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 2, Top-Tens: 4

#27 John Moore
Starts: 6, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 5, Top-Tens: 5

#20 Cole Moore
Starts: 6, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 2, Top-Tens: 5

#18 Travis Milburn
Starts: 5, Wins: 1, Top-Fives: 2, Top-Tens: 2

#55 Danny Malfatti
Starts: 5, Wins: 0, Top-Fives: 0, Top-Tens: 0

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season continues with the Sunrise Ford 150 presented by Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse at California’s Orange Show Speedway on Saturday, May 20. Below is a look at the Sunrise Ford 150 and some of the selected participants.

Sunrise Ford 150 Race Setup:
• Reigning NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion Todd Gilliland of Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, has won four straight races entering Orange Show and can tie the series record for consecutive wins this weekend.
• His fifth straight pole award to open the season last weekend at Washington’s Spokane County Raceway broke the old series mark of four in a row.
• Gilliland owns a 20-point lead over Bill McAnally Racing teammate Chris Eggleston.

At Orange Show Speedway:
History:
• In continual operation since 1947, the quarter-mile Orange Show Speedway is the longest tenured race track in the country.
• The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West made its inaugural visit to Orange Show in 1966, and the series held at least one race at the track in every season through 1973 before returning in 1978 for one race.
• After a 38-year hiatus, the K&N Pro Series returned to Orange Show in 2016.

Notebook:
• This is the series’ 12th event all-time at Orange Show.
• Six different drivers have won previously at Orange Show, with Marvin Porter winning the inaugural event in 1966. Jack McCoy leads all drivers with four wins at Orange Show, including three in a row from 1969-1971.
• Six different drivers have earned poles at Orange Show, led by Jack McCoy with three.
• The record for most cautions in an event at Orange Show is nine, set in 2016, when 63 laps were run under the yellow flag.
• There have been an average of 2.7 lead changes in K&N Pro Series West races at the track.

Orange Show Data:
Race: #6 of 14 overall
Race Date: Saturday, May 20, 8:15 p.m. PT
Track Layout: .25-mile paved oval
Race Length: 150 laps (37.5 miles)

Qualifying/Race Data:
2016 Winner: Chris Eggleston
2016 Pole Sitter: Ryan Partridge
1-lap Qualifying Record: Ryan Partridge, Ford, 67.154 mph, May 2016.
150-lap Race Record: Johnny Anderson, Chevrolet, 46 minutes, 19 seconds, (48.578 mph), July 1971.

Category Leaders at Orange Show:
Wins
Jack McCoy … 4
Chris Eggleston … 1
Several others tied … 1

Poles
Jack McCoy … 3
Ray Elder … 2
Ryan Partridge … 1
Several others tied … 1

Laps Completed
Ray Elder … 1292
Jack McCoy … 1045
Jimmy Insolo … 929
Dick Bown … 596
Ivan Baldwin … 539

Laps Led
Jack McCoy … 635
Hershel McGriff … 103
Ray Elder … 191
Ryan Partridge … 137

Selected Driver Highlights:
Nicole Behar (No. 33 Custom Welding & Fabrication Toyota)
• Currently sits tied for fourth in the K&N Pro Series West standings with one top five and five top 10s in five starts this season.
• Finished a career-best second at Irwindale in 2015.
• Finished 10th in the final series standings in 2015, her only full season with the series.

Chris Eggleston (No. 99 NAPA Filters Toyota)
• Has six career K&N West wins with 24 top fives and 27 top 10s in 36 career starts.
• Was the 2015 series champion as a rookie for Bill McAnally Racing.
• Won the season opener at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway in March and is the defending race winner at Orange Show.
• Has an average starting position of 2.0 and average finishing position of 2.4 in five races this season.

Todd Gilliland (No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
• Won six of 14 races last season with 11 top fives and 13 top 10s en route to the K&N Pro Series West championship, becoming the youngest champion in NASCAR, national or touring, history at 16 years, five months, and joined his grandfather Butch Gilliland as a series champion (1997).
• Enters the weekend on the strength of a four-race winning streak with four wins, five top fives and five top 10s in five races this season to lead the point standings by 20 over Chris Eggleston.
• Has won all five 21 Means 21 Pole Awards for the series this season.
• Has yet to finish worse than second in any race this season.
• Finished fourth at Orange Show last season in his only career start at the track.
• Was named to the 2017 NASCAR Next class on Tuesday.

Derek Kraus (No. 19 Carlyle Tools Toyota)
• Made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series debut with the East at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway and finished third.
• Sits third in the current standings with three top fives and four top 10s through five races.
• Finished a career-best second at California’s Kern County Raceway Park in March.

Julia Landauer (No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil Ford)
• Finished fourth in the championship standings last season to become the highest finishing female driver in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West history.
• Has climbed to seventh in the standings with three consecutive top-10 finishes, including a seventh-place finish at Spokane last weekend.
• Finished fifth at Orange Show last season in her only career start at the track.

Blaine Perkins (No. 21 Four Star Fruit Chevrolet)
• Is eighth in the current standings with three top 10s in five races this season.
• Has a career-best finish of fifth last season at Colorado National Speedway.
• Finished ninth last season in his only career start at Orange Show.

Michael Self (No. 9 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil Ford)
• Despite missing the season opener, ranks 11th in the current standings with two top fives and four top 10s in four starts.
• Has six career K&N Pro Series West wins.

Will Rodgers (No. 7 Solvang Brewing Company Ford)
• Competed in six races a year ago and is running for K&N West Rookie of the Year this season.
• Ranks sixth in the overall standings with four top fives and four top 10s in five races this year.
• Posted a career best finish of third at Kern County in March.

Kody Vanderwal (No. 32 Trident Processes/Billtrite & Signs/Becker Safety Ford)
• Sits ninth in the K&N Pro Series West standings with three top 10s in five starts as a rookie in 2017.
• Finished a career-high eighth in his series debut at the season opener in Tucson

Up To Speed:
• The 2017 season is the 64th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
• The 2017 schedule features 14 races at 12 different tracks across the United States.
• Third-generation driver Todd Gilliland won the season opener last year at Irwindale Speedway, the first of two straight wins to open the year.
• Todd Gilliland swept the Twin 100s at Irwindale in March and has won four straight races to date.
• Chris Eggleston won the season opener at Tucson.

WENATCHEE, WA (May 16, 2017) - In their fifth visit to Spokane Super Oval (SSO), Northwest Super Late Model Series, Inc., (NWSLMS) drivers will return to the high banked oval in Airway Heights, Washington for the Park Model Homes 125.

Last year’s winner, Garrett Evans and runner-up, Zach Beaman will be back for a rematch of their exciting finish. This year, Evans brings his 16-year-old son Jan, to make his late model debut on a half mile track. After racing mostly at Wenatchee and a stop at Stateline Speedway quarter mile venues, the younger Evans is excited and ready to compete on the high banked half

mile oval. Jan finished 7th in a 24-car field in his super late model debut last month at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval.

Gearing up for a shot at the top spot, Braeden Havens will be attempting to duplicate his win at SSO with the Rocky Mountain Challenge Series in 2015. Havens has a series win in last year’s Idaho 200, and took the final podium position last month at Wenatchee, after a great battle with Brittney Zamora.

In addition to Beaman, Clint Habart, Jason O’Neal, Kameron McKeehan and Dirk Bennett will be joining the series for the first time in 2017. McKeehan is a former Inland Northwest Super Stock Association champion.

After last week’s soggy K&N West race, track management has decided to give $10 off with last week’s ticket stub. Bring your K&N admission tickets to the gate with you.

Preliminary Entry List – SSO PMH125
1K Mitch Kleyn Quincy, WA
1R Christian Roeder Ephrata, WA
09 Clint Habart Cranbrook, BC, Canada
11 Ed Thomsen Kennewick, WA
24 Joey Bird Spokane, WA
25 Zach Beaman Yakima, WA
29 Jason O'Neal Spokane, WA
33 Brooke Schimmel Woodland, WA
39 Pete Harding Langley, BC, Canada
51 Glenn Knutson Quincy, WA
52 Brittney Zamora Kennewick, WA
64 Garrett Evans E Wenatchee, WA
64J Jan Evans E Wenatchee, WA
72 Kameron McKeehan Lewiston, ID
83 Braeden Havens Spokane, WA
88 Dirk Bennett Spokane, WA
91 Alan Cress Stayton, OR

Current Point Standings after WVSO
Car # Driver Name Total Points
99 Shane Mitchell 53
24 Joey Bird 52
83 Braeden Havens 46
52 Brittney Zamora 45
64 Garrett Evans 43
89 Doni Wanat 42
64J Jan Evans 41
75 Jeremy Doss 45
9 Josh Roberts 39
1K Mitch Kleyn 38
64S Stephanie Evans 37
11 Ed Thomsen 36
14 Brandon Carlson 35
91 Alan Cress 34
1R Christian Roeder 33
22 Byron Goetz 32
31 Chad Holaday 31
51 Glen Knutson 30
81 Darrell Midgley 29
33 Brooke Schimmel 28
66 Jeff Bischofberger 29
86 Tom Berrow 26
93 David Garber 25
20 Andy Sole 25
95 Buck Noel Jr. 20

In their fourth season, the Northwest Super Late Model Series Inc. is the premier regional touring Super Late Model series in the Pacific Northwest. The series has many valued marketing partner including Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, AR Bodies, Accelerated Graphics, Five Star Bodies, Longacre Racing Products, KRC Power Steering, Franks Racing Radio, Jefferson Pitts Racing, Bassett Wheels, TI Company, Child Haven Learning Center, Pacific Steel Structures, LLC and Racing Dynamiks. For more information on the series visit www.nwslmseries.com or on Social Media, Facebook (NWSLMS) or Twitter (@nw_latemodels).

Park Model Homes is a direct factory broker for the nation’s custom Tiny House/Park Model needs. You can find additional information at www.park-model-homes.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 16, 2017) – Forty wins and 124 top-10s in 148 NASCAR starts during their 2016 and 2017 seasons, to date. … Three series champions, two of whom are the youngest in their respective NASCAR touring series. … The 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rookie of the Year and the 2015 Snowball Derby runner-up.

These are just a few of the accomplishments already earned by the nine drivers in this year’s NASCAR Next class, and they’re just getting started.

Now in its seventh year, the industry initiative spotlights the best and brightest young stars in racing. Alumni of the program include current Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stars Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Daniel Suárez, Erik Jones and Ryan Blaney.

“The NASCAR Next program identifies emerging talent in our sport,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Drivers in this year’s class have already achieved success on the track or shown potential, and this program will help them further develop their skills. We look forward to watching these young stars connect with our fans and continue their climb up the NASCAR ladder.”

The NASCAR Next selection process includes input from industry executives, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Drivers Council and media members. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, aspire to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and show potential – on and off the track – to reach that goal.

The following drivers have been chosen for the 2017-18 NASCAR Next class:

Harrison Burton (@HBurtonRacing) – In his second year competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the 16-year-old from Huntersville, North Carolina, has earned wins at Bristol Motor Speedway and Virginia’s South Boston Speedway. The son of former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver and current NBCSN analyst Jeff Burton also took home the pole award at Bristol for the second consecutive year.

Chase Cabre (@CabreChase) – In his rookie season driving for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, the 20-year-old Tampa, Florida, native captured his first two pole awards in the twin features at South Boston and earned his best career finish (fourth) at the Virginia short track.

Hailie Deegan (@HailieDeegan) – The 15-year-old Temecula, California, native has made a name for herself in the Lucas Oil Off Road Series. Last year the daughter of FMX legend Brian Deegan became the first female to reach the podium in the series’ history, was the 2016 Modified Kart champion in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series and was named the Lucas Oil Off Road Driver of the Year.

Todd Gilliland (@ToddGilliland_) – The son of former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver David Gilliland has made quite a name for himself in the sport’s history books. The 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, already has 12 wins in 30 K&N Pro Series starts and became the youngest champion in NASCAR national or touring series history last year when he took home the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship.

Riley Herbst (@rileyherbst) – The 18-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada, driver is coming off a successful rookie season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. In 14 starts last year, he compiled seven top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.

Cayden Lapcevich (@CaydenLapcevich) – Only the third Canadian-born driver to be chosen for the program, the 17-year-old from Grimsby, Ontario, won three times in 2016 en route to becoming the youngest NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion, and briefly held the title as the youngest NASCAR champion before being dethroned by Gilliland. Lapcevich is the first driver in Pinty’s Series history to earn both the Josten Rookie of the Year honor and the series title in the same year.

Ty Majeski (@TyMajeski) – A Roush Fenway development driver and one of the country’s top Super Late Model drivers, the 22-year-old Seymour, Wisconsin native kicked off his 2016 winning the Super Late Model championship at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. He continued his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season with a third-place finish in the national standings on the strength of 14 wins and 21 top-fives in 26 starts. He will make his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut at Iowa Speedway on June 24.

Chase Purdy (@chasepurdy12) – The 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rookie of the Year made a splash last year when he took home both the rookie of the year and track championship at South Carolina’s Greenville Pickens Speedway in NASCAR’s weekly series. The 17-year-old from Meridian, Mississippi is chasing another rookie title this year, competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

Zane Smith (@zanesmith77) – Smith, 17, from Huntington Beach, California, broke onto the national scene in 2015 when he won the Super Late Model championship at New Smyrna’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. He capped the season with a runner-up finish to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver and NASCAR Next alumnus Chase Elliott in the Snowball Derby.

Since its inception in 2011, 36 of the 46 drivers who have been selected for the program have progressed to compete in one of NASCAR’s three national series, while more than a quarter have gone on to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Twelve NASCAR Next drivers have won a NASCAR national series race.

The last three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookies of the Year are NASCAR Next alumni, as are four of the top-five contenders for the award this year: Daniel Suárez, Erik Jones, Corey LaJoie and Gray Gaulding. The last four Sunoco Rookies of the Year in both the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are also alumni of the NASCAR Next program.

For more information, visit next.NASCAR.com and make sure to follow the drivers on Twitter and on the track. Join the social conversation by using #NASCARNext.


About NASCAR
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Most drivers will tell you that the key to winning races is starting up front. Defending NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion Todd Gilliland is taking that adage to new heights as the series heads to California’s Orange Show Speedway on Saturday for the Orange Show 150.

With Gilliland’s 21 Means 21 Pole Award last weekend at Washington’s Spokane County Raceway, the Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, driver earned his record breaking fifth consecutive pole — the previous record of four straight was established by Jim Insolo in 1978 and shared by Ron Eaton, who accomplished the feat in 1982.

Now with five consecutive poles and the point lead heading into Orange Show, Gilliland, who became the youngest NASCAR national or touring series champion last season, is on the verge of making even more history. The 17-year-old, the NASCAR Next driver celebrated his birthday on Monday, has his sights set on a fifth consecutive win to tie the series mark set by Hershel McGriff, who won five straight races during the 1972 season.

In an interesting bit of symmetry, one of McGriff’s wins during that record-setting run came at Orange Show. He won his fourth of his five consecutive wins at the San Bernardino oval during the 30-race season in which McGriff won 12 times.

RACE: Orange Show 150
PLACE: Orange Show Speedway, San Bernardino, California
DATE: Saturday, May 20
TIME: 8:15 p.m., PT
AIRDATE: NBCSN, Friday, May 26 at 8 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .25-mile asphalt oval
2016 WINNER: Chris Eggleston
2016 POLE WINNER: Ryan Partridge
EVENT SCHEDULE: Saturday, May 20 – Garage opens: 11:45 a.m.; Practice: 2:45-3:30 p.m., 3:45-4:30 p.m.; Group qualifying: 5 p.m.; Driver autograph session: 6 p.m.; Orange Show 150: 8:15 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: (909) 201-1918 or hrposspeedway@outlook.com.
TWITTER: @OrangeShowSpeed
EVENT HASHTAG: #OrangeShow150
NASCAR IMC CONTACT: Brooke Franceschini, (386) 631-6142), bfranceschini@nascar.com.

FAST FACTS:
The Race: The Orange Show 150 will be the sixth of 14 races on the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule.

The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 22 cars, including provisionals. The first 18 cars will secure starting positions based on the group qualifying process. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (37.5 miles) with a five-minute break occurring at or near the conclusion of lap 75.

The Track: A .25-mile asphalt oval, Orange Show Speedway is the longest continually-operated race track in the nation, having held competition since 1947.

Race Winners: There have been six different winners in the nine previous NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races held at Orange Show. Jack McCoy won four times at the speedway, including three straight from 1969-1971.

Pole Winners: In the six previous events at Orange Show, there have also been six different pole winners. There have only been two drivers to take home multiple poles at Orange Show, Jack McCoy and Ray Elder. McCoy won three poles at the .25-mile oval while Ray Elder earned two.

Orange Show 150 Notes:
Success Rate: Chris Eggleston, who won the season opener at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway, returns to Orange Show as the track’s winningest active driver at the track. In fact, he’s the only driver entered in the Orange Show 150 to have previously win at the San Bernardino oval.
Eggleston won last year’s 150-lap event at Orange Show in the series’ return to the facility after a 38-year absence. Eggleston led the final seven laps en route to victory after starting third in the field, taking the lead from pole sitter Ryan Partridge in the closing stages of the event.

The Erie, Colorado, native and the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, has five top-five finishes through five races this season, having finished on the podium in all but the second event of the season at California’s Kern County Raceway Park, where he finished fourth.

Rookie Crop: A total of four rookies sit in the top nine positions in the K&N Pro Series West standings headed into the Orange Show 150.
Derek Kraus of Stratford, Wisconsin, ranks third in the standings and is closing in his first career win. Kraus, who has three top-five finishes through the first five races of the season, finished second at Spokane last weekend. It was his second series career runner-up finish.

Garret Archer sits fourth, just three points behind Kraus, with an identical stat line of three top fives and four top 10s through the first five races. Will Rodgers is sixth in the standings and Kody Vanderwal ninth.

Learning Curve: Jesse Iwuji returns to the site of his best career finish this weekend at Orange Show.
Iwuji, of Carrollton, Texas, posted his only career top-10 finish at Orange Show last season, and the timing of the tight quarter-mile on the schedule couldn’t be better for the 29-year-old driver. Iwuji enters this weekend coming off his best finish of the season, 15th at Spokane County.

Iwuji is driving the No. 36 Champion Parts/Lights Out/Bullet Proof Energy Chevrolet owned by former National Football League linebacker Shawne Merriman.

Big Apple: After finishing fourth in the final standings a year ago to become in the highest-finishing female in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West history, Julia Landauer’s season got off to a slow start before taking steps in the right direction over the last two races.

Landauer, of New York, New York, enters Orange County off three straight top-10 finishes, including a sixth-place run in the second event of the NAPA Auto Parts Twin 100s at California’s Irwindale Event Center and a seventh-place finish at Spokane. She has moved from 12th to seventh in the standings with her impressive runs as of late.

Last season, Landauer posted the second of her seven top-five finishes at Orange Show, where she started eighth and was one of only nine cars to finish on the lead lap.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The rain may have tried, but Todd Gilliland owned the night at Spokane County Raceway.

Starting from pole for the sixth consecutive week, Gilliland went on to lead every one of 150 laps to score his 11th career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West victory as well as his fourth consecutive win.

It was the second straight race the 16-year-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, has led flag-to-flag after a dominating performance last time out at California's Irwindale Event Center.

His Bill McAnally Racing teammate Derek Kraus was his closest competitor of the night, having multiple runs at the No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota after the first half of the 150-lap feature. Despite the potential, the 15-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate came home second, tying his best career finish in the series.

Though it didn't affect Gilliland, the weather had quite the impact on the day's on-track events. Delaying the start of the race by nearly two hours, the race did not go green until the cars turned 102 laps behind the pace truck as a last ditch effort to dry the racing surface.

Stopping for fuel before the green, it was the Gilliland show from there on.

Behind the reigning champion, however, was some close competition and tough breaks for his competitors. A crash on Lap 14 with Blaine Perkins and Rich DeLong III brought out the race's first of two red flag periods. The second was due to a puddle of water dropped by one of the safety trucks during the cleanup.

Following the lengthy rain delay, the race didn't see the checkered flag until well after midnight on the West Coast.

Chris Eggleston came home third with Michael Self and Nicole Behar, who each battled close for those positions, rounding out the top five.

Matt Levin ties his career-best K&N Pro Series West effort in sixth followed by Garret Archer, Owen Riddle, Julia Landauer and Braeden Havens completing the top 10.

The Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 from Spokane County Raceway will air on NBCSN Thursday, May 18 at 10 p.m. PT.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will be back in action Saturday, May 20 at California's Orange Show Speedway with the Orange Show 150. The green flag is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. PT.