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IRACING
NASCAR IRACING COMMUNITY HELPS CREATORS GROW THEIR CONTENT
BY KAUY OSTLIEN
Throughout NASCAR there are different communities of fans, including diecast collectors, tailgaters and amateur racers, to name a few. These communities are diverse and comprised of people from all walks of life, and the iRacing community is no different.
The iRacing community has also supplied NASCAR fans with ways to connect to drivers from the comfort of their homes. As fans work their way up the iRacing ladder, they sometimes find themselves racing alongside future stars, Cup Series regulars and childhood heroes.
One well-known iRacing Content Creator, Cierra – better known by her screen name CierRaces – has had her virtual battles with NASCAR talent such as Carson Hocevar, Daniel Dye and Josh Berry.
In her roughly three years in the virtual world of racing, Cierra has grown her iRacing content into some of the most must-watch streams in the community.
That said, Cierra is relatively new to the NASCAR scene.
“My fiancé, he’s been watching NASCAR for about 20 years,” Cierra noted. “So when we first started dating, it would always be on in the background, and then, we went to the 2022 Daytona 500, when (Austin) Cindric won, and that was kind of what started my love.”
While there is no better story than someone becoming a NASCAR fan by attending the sport’s most prestigious race, for Cierra, who had begun iRacing around the same time, this new interest translated into her iRacing interests as well.
Though she began her iRacing career with a heavy focus on sports car racing, Cierra told the Daily Downforce that as she continued to watch NASCAR, the interconnectivity that NASCAR brought to iRacing grew her interest in the virtual side of the sport.
“I was watching every week, and I was like, ‘Wait, I want to know what it feels like to drive this track with this car,’” Cierra recalled. “So I would go and do that, and then it would just make me understand the race that weekend more.”
As part of the NASCAR iRacing community, Cierra founder herself among a small, yet growing number of females competing on the track.
“I realized that not a lot of women are in the iRacing NASCAR community. If there are women doing iRacing, they’re mostly doing sports cars, GTs and that kind of stuff. ... I was racing a lot of PickUp Cup, which is like unofficial iRacing, and that was a lot of fun, but I got to the point where I was like, ‘Wait, I think I can actually do this for real.’”
Rather than using her words to defend herself, Cierra enjoys using her on-track skills to silence any doubters. This includes the occasional victory over a smart-mouthed competitor.
“I’ve noticed that when you’re doing drafting tracks, a lot of people like to work with each other, and I guess I just noticed, being a female, a lot of people don’t want to work with me,” Cierra explained. “So, there’s been many different times in racing where some guys are being mean, but I love it when I can change their opinion.”
As many NASCAR content creators know, one benefit of being part of the NASCAR community is the support network of fellow fans and hobbyists. In a sport like NASCAR, most media members, drivers and content creators were all fans at one time, and this commonality has created a strong online community in NASCAR.
This is no different for Cierra, who claims her iRacing content’s shift into the NASCAR community helped grow her notoriety.
“When I started doing NASCAR is when I kind of started noticing my content was picking up,” Cierra noted.
Since she began creating NASCAR iRacing Content, Cierra’s following online has grown to more than 7,000 followers on Twitch, 1.2K subscribers on YouTube and over 5,000 followers on TikTok.
Her journey is due in part to the ever-supportive NASCAR community.
NASCARCOLLECTIBLES
Collections Worth Sharing
Of the many ways in which NASCAR fans interact with the sport, collecting is the most popular. Some collect autographs, hero cards, die-cast cars, promotional oddities and merchandise. Others prefer race-used items, such as doors, hoods, fenders, quarter panels, fire suits and tires.
Bottomline, fans love to show off their rare and unusual items. Here’s a look at one fan’s massive NASCAR collection.
THIRD-GENERATION RACER AND CURRENT NASCAR broadcaster Kyle Petty is the focus of this collection. Petty was Kenny’s first favorite driver, and many of the items displayed cover key periods during Petty’s three decades of racing in NASCAR’s premier series.
A NASCAR FAN FOR MORE than 30 years, Kenny has assembled a very diverse collection. It includes many 1:64 and 1:24 die-cast cars and race used sheet metal.
FAVORITE
IS A
OFF ONE of Kyle Petty’s No. 42 Mello
even got the panel signed during one of the driver’s annual Charity Ride Across America fundraisers.
KENNY’S COLLECTION began with a shirt in the iconic red-and-yellow colors of Kyle Petty’s now iconic Mello Yello car. It has grown to include multiple fire suits.
KENNY HAS A LARGE selection of die-cast cars, die-cast haulers and sheet metal from different Petty Enterprises, Richard Petty Motorsports and Legacy Motor Club drivers. This includes a shelf of die-cast cars of current NASCAR drivers such as Bubba Wallace and Erik Jones.
KENNY’S
PIECE
DOOR
Yello cars. Kenny
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CHATTING WITH Butterbean
SHORT-TRACK VETERAN EYES ARCA TITLE
BY KAUY OSTLIEN
Brenden “Butterbean” Queen is the reigning CARS Tour Late Model Stock champion.
On Feb. 15, the 27-year-old short-track veteran from Chesapeake, Virginia, introduced himself to a national audience, winning the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Following the victory, Queen and his Pinnacle Racing team went viral as they took the trophy, shaped like a Chili’s cocktail shaker, to Waffle House and Chilis.
Queen is a throwback to a generation when drivers worked their way up from the nation’s short tracks. He is in his first full season of ARCA Menards Series racing, driving the No 28 Chevrolet fielded by Pinnacle Racing Group.
WHERE DID THE “BUTTERBEAN” NICKNAME ORIGINATE?
HOW HAS THE TRANSITION TO ARCA BEEN WITH PINNACLE RACING GROUP?
When I was a baby, I looked like the boxer Butterbean. I kind of got that through that, and then obviously it stuck. I don’t really look like him now, but I did as a baby. And it’s funny how it sticks, and my friends and teachers found out, and everybody knew me as that. And then it ended up on a race car, and now in the racing world, pretty much I’m known as that more than my real name.
ARE DRIVERS WHO GRADUATE FROM THE CARS TOUR PROUD OF THEIR SHORT-TRACK ROOTS?
I think so. I feel like Late Model Stock racing is the hardest thing I’ve done. The CARS Tour was really hard. I feel like people like Josh Berry, Carson and Travis Kvapil and, hopefully, me and Kaden Honeycutt, we’re proving that there’s talent right here in the Late Model Stock world that just needs a shot.
And I always told myself if I could just get a shot, I would show everybody, and they wouldn’t regret taking a chance on me. Hopefully, that’s paying off.
It’s been smooth. Obviously, there’s stuff that I get nervous about, and, you know, I want to perform, and there’s a lot of learning with the air and bigger tracks. But Pinnacle has been awesome. My crew chief Stevo (Steven Dawson) and everybody at the shop, and then everybody at the Chevrolet program with Josh Wise has been great to work with. So I feel like they’ve really helped speed up a lot of my learning. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT TACKLING SUCH A DIVERSE SCHEDULE IN THE ARCA MENARDS SERIES?
You just got to stay out of trouble. There’s so much luck involved too, but we’ll take it. We got Daytona, and they can’t take it away now. The short tracks, obviously, I’m super excited for because that’s my background. Road course racing – just trying to learn as much as I can and prepare for that. And then dirt racing – I do have a little bit of a dirt racing background, too, so excited for those. It just depends on where we’re going, what kind of prep I do, whether it’s sim, iRacing or just watching film and talking to other drivers or talking to my team.
MY FAVORITE WITH
JOSH BERRY
In his second season as a NASCAR Cup Series driver and first with Wood Brothers Racing, Josh Berry is in arguably the most exciting time of his professional career. Away from the race track, life is also good for Berry, who loves making memories with his young daughter. Let’s get to know Berry a little better as he talks about some of his favorite things and some of his favorite moments.
BY JARED TURNER
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE VACATION SPOT?
THAT’S PROBABLY Florida. Anywhere with a beach. My family and I, we love going to the beach. My daughter loves swimming and the warm weather, so anywhere that has that stands out as a favorite to me.
WHAT’S YOUR
FAVORITE
MEMORY IN RACING?
I GO BACK TO THAT Martinsville win in 2019, actually, with the Late Model Stock car. It’s between that and my first Xfinity Series win, which was at Martinsville as well. But, really, that Late Model race stands out to me the most because that was my seventh or eighth trip to Martinsville at that point, and I had not had a lot of success, and it was something we had put a lot of effort in … to win that race.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
THAT’S A GOOD question. I feel like at least one of my favorite movies is actually “Toy Story.” I grew up watching that as a kid, and now having a young daughter, she’s gotten into it and watched each one of them. I don’t know. It’s just one that always sticks out to me that I really enjoyed it growing up, and now getting to share that with her just makes it more special.
WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE DRIVER GROWING UP?
PROBABLY JEFF Gordon. My earliest memories of NASCAR as a kid were the midto-late ’90s, and that was when he had really come onto the scene and started having a lot of success. He was young and winning a lot of races, and I feel like at that point you were either an Earnhardt fan or a Gordon fan. And I feel like me being younger and Jeff being younger made him my favorite.
SHOWCASING THE
‘This
is Really the Connection that Makes the Most Sense’
In January, NASCAR gained a new Official Partner in Suburban Propane – a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services.
The multi-year partnership is a terrific fit for the New Jersey-based company, which has been in business since 1928 and is also a marketer of natural gas and electricity while investing in low carbon fuel alternatives.
“First of all, the Suburban Propane brand – which has been around almost 100 years – is a bit of an iconic American brand. And, certainly, NASCAR is truly an iconic American brand,” Suburban Propane CEO Michael Stivala said. “When you look at our core values – excellence, sustainability and community – and if you think about NASCAR, it’s all about innovation, performance and the community of fans that really come out and support the sport so passionately.
“I think those core values of Suburban
BY JARED TURNER
Propane and NASCAR really, really are a true match.”
Suburban Propane is teaming up not just with NASCAR itself but with 19 tracks, including all of the NASCAR-owned NASCAR Cup Series venues and the Cup Series tracks owned by Speedway Motorsports.
“In the last several years, we’ve started to dabble in some sports relationships. We’ve done things with the New York Yankees, the Baltimore Orioles, the New Jersey Devils, the Los Angeles Kings and the Washington Capitals,” Stivala said. “We’ve done those type of sponsorships, but this is the right one. Those were individual events where you get your name out there and do some marketing around it, but this is really the connection that makes the most sense.”
As the Official Propane of both NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports, Suburban Propane is playing a key role in track-drying procedures and in the cooking of food at track concession stands. In addition, Suburban Propane is offering products that enhance the experiences of at-track campers who need to fill their RVs or barbecue cylinders with propane.
Those are just a few of the resources that Suburban Propane is providing at NASCAR events, however.
“At Daytona in February, we set tanks for temporary showers for hot water,” Stivala said. “In Atlanta, when they had that cold snap, NASCAR called us up and said, ‘We really don’t want to keep the race cars in their trailers overnight in these really extreme cold temperatures. We want to keep them in the garage, but we don’t have heat in the garage.’
First and foremost, we need to get the word out about the power of propane –and what better way is there than to demonstrate it in such a performanceoriented event like a NASCAR event?
Michael Stivala
PRESIDENT & CEO OF SUBURBAN
PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.
POWER OF PROPANE
“We were able to set a tank right next to the garages and add two heaters that were piping heat in for the whole weekend, so that they could keep the cars warm overnight. It’s things like that where I think we’re going to see the benefits of this relationship continue to blossom.”
New, propane-powered track dryers that NASCAR added to its fleet of safety vehicles starting this season are using Suburban Propane to help dry rain-soaked race tracks as quickly as possible. Working in combination with NASCAR’s Air Tundras and traditional jet dryers, the propane-powered dryers were immediately put to good use beginning with February’s Daytona 500, which wet weather delayed for several hours after downpours drenched the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
“The dryers that we’re powering are the very last step of the drying process,” Stivala said. “They’re the really high-powered ones that get the last bit of drying done. It’s that last step before everybody gets to start realizing, ‘Hey, this race is going to get going.’ To see the dryer with our logo at the Daytona 500 was really something special.”
Stivala can already see where joining forces with NASCAR and such a long list of tracks is giving Suburban Propane a platform it wouldn’t otherwise have to inform the public about the environmental advantages of using propane versus kerosene.
“First and foremost, we need to get the word out about the power of propane –and what better way is there than to demonstrate it in such a performance-oriented event like a NASCAR event?” Stivala said. “Unless you’ve grown up with propane or you use it because you’re in a rural community where you rely on it as your sole energy source to power up your heat and hot water and cooking and clothes drying, a lot of people still equate it just to their barbecue cylinder.
“On this stage, in such an amazing sport as NASCAR, to be able to demonstrate the versatility of what propane can deliver on and off the track in so many different ways is truly one of the best opportunities for us to get the word out about not only the performance but the sustainability side and the clean burning attributes that propane brings. NASCAR is making a commitment to improving air quality for drivers, fans and pit crews alike. Propane is one step in that direction.”
SEASONREWIND
Gordon Beats Earnhardt
Driving the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon recorded seven victories, 23 top-10 finishes and eight pole positions en route to the first NASCAR Cup Series titles for himself and Hendrick Motorsports.
After arriving on the scene in 1992, Gordon, a former USAC open-wheel racer, steadily found his place in the NASCAR Cup Series, winning his first race in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also topped the inaugural Brickyard 400 that year, establishing himself as an up-and-coming star.
In 1995, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham had found the magic, and they made winning look commonplace. Gordon had finally found the consistency he needed to contend on a weekly basis, not just during the select big events in which he excelled the previous season.
Gordon began the schedule 22nd in points after finishing outside the top 20 in the Daytona 500. A win at Rockingham Speedway the next week moved him to seventh, followed by a drop to 13th after a fuel pump failed at Richmond.
From there, Gordon was able to maintain his place among the top 10 in points. He assumed command in the championship battle after winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 9 and never looked back.
Dale Earnhardt, driving the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, led a portion of the season in points but ultimately finished second, 34 markers behind Gordon. Earnhardt logged five wins with 23 top-10 finishes. DNFs at both Michigan races severely impacted his title hopes.
1995
BEST DRIVER
JEFF GORDON, DRIVER OF THE NO. 24
Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, won seven NASCAR Cup Series races with six coming on superspeedways and one on a short track. His Concord, North Carolinabased team owned by Rick Hendrick and led by crew chief Ray Evernham was strong both on the track and in the pit area. Gordon’s 5.0 average start and 9.5 average finish were enough for the native of Vallejo, California, to secure his first Cup Series championship.
SEASON RECAP
DATE LOCATION WINNER
Feb. 19 Daytona International Speedway Sterling Marlin
Feb. 26 Rockingham Speedway Jeff Gordon
March 5 Richmond Raceway Terry Labonte
March 12 Atlanta Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon
March 26 Darlington Raceway Sterling Marlin
April 2 Bristol Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon
April 9 North Wilkesboro Speedway Dale Earnhardt
April 23 Martinsville Speedway Rusty Wallace
April 30 Talladega Superspeedway Mark Martin
May 7 Sonoma Raceway Dale Earnhardt
May 28 Charlotte Motor Speedway Bobby Labonte
June 4 Dover Motor Speedway Kyle Petty
June 11 Pocono Raceway Terry Labonte
June 18 Michigan International Speedway Bobby Labonte
July 1 Daytona International Speedway Jeff Gordon
July 9 New Hampshire Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon
July 16 Pocono Raceway Dale Jarrett
July 23 Talladega Superspeedway Sterling Marlin
Aug. 5 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Dale Earnhardt
Aug. 13 Watkins Glen International Mark Martin
Aug. 20 Michigan International Speedway Bobby Labonte
Aug. 26
Bristol Motor Speedway Terry Labonte
Sept. 3 Darlington Raceway Jeff Gordon
Sept. 9 Richmond Raceway Rusty Wallace
Sept. 17 Dover Motor Speedway Jeff Gordon
Sept. 24 Martinsville Speedway Dale Earnhardt
Oct. 1 North Wilkesboro Speedway Mark Martin
Oct. 8 Charlotte Motor Speedway Mark Martin
Oct. 22 Rockingham Speedway Ward Burton
Oct. 29 Phoenix Raceway Ricky Rudd
Nov. 12 Atlanta Motor Speedway Dale Earnhardt
L.V. GALLON OF GAS: $1.21 HISTORY: ON APRIL 19, A TRUCK RIGGED WITH A DIESEL FUEL/FERTILIZER-DERIVED
OUTSIDE THE ALFRED P. MURRAH FEDERAL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY, KILLING 168 PEOPLE.
BEST RACE
DRIVING THE NO. 5 HENDRICK Motorsports Chevrolet, Terry Labonte won the Goody’s 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway by crashing across the startfinish line after being punted by Dale Earnhardt in the No. 3 RCR Chevrolet. Labonte crashed into the wall but was able to drive his badly damaged car into Victory Lane. Seeing that he wasn’t going to win, Earnhardt tagged Labonte’s rear bumper and sent him spinning under the checkered flag.
TOP CARS
JEFF GORDON’S NO. 24
Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet notched seven wins with 23 top-10 finishes in 31 series starts. The No. 3 RCR Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt went to Victory Lane five times and had 23 top-10 results.
PRESIDENT: BILL CLINTON NO. 1 AT THE BOX OFFICE: BATMAN FOREVER NO. 1 SONG: “GANGSTA’S PARADISE” BY COOLIO FEATURING
BEYOND THE GLEN TURN
YOUR NASCAR TRIP INTO A FULL-FLEDGED VACATION
Watkins Glen International has delivered some of the most unforgettable moments in NASCAR history. From Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski’s epic battle in 2012 to Chase Elliott’s dominant road-course victory in 2018 that cemented his status as a star, The Glen never fails to entertain.
But while the on-track action is guaranteed to be thrilling, the trip doesn’t have to stop at race weekend. Watkins Glen and the surrounding Finger Lakes region offer incredible scenery, local flavors and unique attractions that can turn your racing getaway into a full-fledged vacation.
THE SENECA LAKE WINE TRAIL
The Finger Lakes are famous for their wineries, and Watkins Glen sits right along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. More than 30 wineries offer everything from crisp Rieslings to bold Cabernets. Popular stops include Lakewood Vineyards, Glenora Wine Cellars and Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard, each offering tastings with lakeside views. If wine isn’t your thing, there are also excellent craft breweries and distilleries in the area, such as Finger Lakes Distilling and Two Goats Brewing.
CHASE WATERFALLS AT WATKINS GLEN STATE PARK
Just minutes from the track is Watkins Glen State Park. Known for its stunning gorge trail, the park features 19 waterfalls, making it a perfect spot for a scenic hike. Whether you’re looking for a leisurely stroll or a more challenging hike, the park’s trails offer incredible opportunities to capture the beauty of the Finger Lakes. Bring your camera – this is one of the most Instagram-worthy spots in the state.
TAKE A BOAT TOUR ON SENECA LAKE
Seeing the Finger Lakes from the water is a whole different experience. Take a boat tour with Captain Bill’s Seneca Lake Cruises, which offers scenic sightseeing tours and dinner cruises along the lake. For those feeling adventurous, rent a kayak or paddleboard from Summit to Stream Adventures and explore the lake at your own pace.
MAKE IT MORE THAN JUST RACE WEEKEND
Watkins Glen International delivers high-speed excitement, but the surrounding area offers much more than just racing. Whether you’re hiking through waterfalls, sipping local wines or enjoying the peaceful charm of a small lakeside town, turning your trip into a full vacation is well worth it.
TAKE FUN ANYWHERE!
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Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings
FOR VEHICLES, BOATS, RVS, MOTORCYCLES ... AND RACE CARS
Opti-Coat of Memphis, Tennessee, was the first company to release automotive ceramic coatings in the USA, and they’ve made history once again by introducing ceramic coatings to NASCAR.
Opti-Coat’s blue-and-white logo was featured on the hood of Jeb Burton’s No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing/Bommarito Autosport Chevrolet Camaro last fall at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In the October 2024 race, the No. 27 car was not just wearing Opti-Coat’s logo on the hood – the car entered the race with Opti-Coat’s Pro Ceramic Coating installed on the vehicle.
As far as we know, it’s the first time a ceramiccoated race car competed in a NASCAR race.
Ceramic coatings create a barrier between your vehicle’s paint and the elements, helping keep your vehicle looking new.
BENEFITS OF CERAMIC COATINGS
• Warrantied Protection from all the elements and sun damage
• Long-Lasting Shine & Gloss
• Ease of Maintenance
• U.V. Protection
• Chemical & Stain Resistance
• Scratch & Swirl Resistance
• Resistance to Dirt & Water Spots
• Water Beading
Ceramic coatings were first developed in the 1970s for military and aerospace applications. In 2007, Opti-Coat introduced the first automotive ceramic coating for sale in the United States. This new type of coating was designed to protect the modern, damage-prone clear coat paint found on today’s vehicles.
Opti-Coat coatings are unique in composition, utilizing Silicon Carbide (SiC) – also known as industrial diamond – because it is much longer lasting and more durable than the more commonly used Silicon Dioxide (SiO2). A single application of an SiC coating has a lifespan of at least 10 years, compared to 1-3 years for SiO2 coatings.
Opti-Coat Ceramic Coatings are not just for cars, trucks and SUVs. Opti-Coat has specialized coatings for boats, RVs, motorcycles and even race cars. Opti-Coat is installed by top Professional Detailers throughout the U.S. and Canada.
To find a Professional Installer near you, visit https://opticoat. com/pages/installers
AUTOMOTIVE CERAMIC COATINGS
OPTI-COAT PRO3
The most advanced ceramic coating available, featuring four
times the thickness of standard ceramic coatings with four layers of Silicon Carbide (SiC) protection.
• 10-Year Warranty with no yearly maintenance required
• Optional Lifetime Warranty
OPTI-COAT PRO PLUS
A two-layer SiC protective coating, delivering even more gloss and slickness than single-layer coatings while maintaining the same durable chemical structure as Opti-Coat Pro.
• Enhanced Water Beading and Dirt-Release Properties
• 7-Year Warranty
OPTI-COAT PRO
The original professional ceramic coating. A permanent bonding, single-layer Silicon Carbide (SiC) coating offering long-term protection.
• Up to 10 years of durability
• 5-Year Warranty
OPTI-COAT ULTRA SHINE
An SiO2-based ceramic coating offering extreme gloss, shine, and slickness at a lower price point.
• Can fill minor scratches and swirls
• 2-Year Warranty
MOTORCYCLE CERAMIC COATING
OPTI-COAT PRO MOTORCYCLE CERAMIC COATING
Designed specifically for motorcycles, this includes:
• Opti-Coat Pro – Paint protection
• Opti-Guard Leather – Leather & vinyl protection
• Opti-Metal – Metal & chrome protection
• Protects motorcycle paint, leather, vinyl, metal, chrome, and even exhaust pipes
• 5-Year Warranty
RV & MARINE CERAMIC COATING
OPTI-COAT RV & MARINE
A protective ceramic coating designed for gelcoat surfaces found on RVs and boats.
• 5-Year Warranty
• Superior resistance to scratching, chemical etching, and UV fading
• Outstanding dirt-release properties
ABOUT OPTI-COAT
Opti-Coat has been designing and manufacturing ceramic coatings and auto detailing products in the USA since 2001. When looking for the best ceramic protection, paint protection film or auto detailing products to keep your vehicle, boat, RV, motorcycle or race car clean and protected, turn to Opti-Coat. For more information, visit www.opticoat.com.
Opti-Coat Pro
Opti-Coat Pro 3
Opti-Coat Pro Plus
Opti-Coat RV & Marine
Opti-Coat Pro Motorcycle
NASCAR SUPER FANS
RACING’S BEEN A LIFELONG ADVENTURE FOR THIS COUPLE
BY CODY WILLIAMS
For Troy and Sandy Rorabaugh, auto racing has been a lifelong passion. Now 83 years old, the couple has spent the better part of a century as devoted fans of the sport, with memories spanning decades of NASCAR history.
Troy’s love for racing began in 1966 when he attended the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That experience cemented his admiration for the sport. A few years later, in 1972, he met Sandra in Hawaii, and it was love at first sight. From that moment forward, their shared passion for racing became an essential part of their lives. Every year since, they’ve attended at least one NASCAR Cup Series race together.
Troy, an electrician since 1960, became an electrical specialist in 1974 and remained in that role until retiring at age 76. Sandy, meanwhile, worked as a nurse’s aide before advancing her career by attending X-ray school, where she became a radiologic technologist. Despite their busy schedules, the couple always made time for NASCAR.
Their first race together was at Rockingham Speedway in the fall of 1973, and they never looked back. Over their 52 years of marriage, they have attended most tracks on the NASCAR schedule, with only a few exceptions, primarily the newer road courses.
However, they did visit California’s Riverside Raceway before the track shut down. The only long-standing tracks they haven’t
attended are Kansas, Michigan and Nashville Superspeedway – but they hope to change that soon.
Traveling to races has taken them all over the country, often by car. In fact, they’ve crossed the continental U.S. eight times and visited every state capital at least once. For them, the journey is just as rewarding as the destination.
“We’ve seen the most beautiful parts of this country because of traveling to NASCAR races,” Sandy said.
When it comes to their favorite drivers, Troy’s all-time favorite was Dale Earnhardt. After Earnhardt’s passing in 2001, Troy naturally became a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Other drivers he has always admired include Kevin Harvick, Richard Petty and Kyle Petty. A highlight of their racing adventures was meeting Kyle Petty, who personally gave them a tour of his race shop on the original Petty Enterprises campus.
Today, Troy’s favorite driver is 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney. Sandy, on the other hand, has a different favorite – Joey Logano – much to Troy’s dismay.
When asked about his favorite track, Troy didn’t hesitate: “Richmond.” As for the most exciting race they’ve ever attended? Both agree it was the 2016 spring race at Talladega, where Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag. To top it off, on their way out of the track, they were treated to shots of whiskey – an unforgettable way to cap off the experience.
So, what’s next on their racing bucket list? Troy pondered for a moment before saying, “Hard to say. I’m 83 years old now. I just don’t know. I’d like to go again to either Phoenix or Vegas.”
For Troy and Sandy Rorabaugh, NASCAR has been more than just a sport – it’s been a lifelong adventure, filled with unforgettable moments, legendary drivers and the thrill of the race.
NASCARnival Takes the Fun to a Whole New Level At Victory Junction
BY JARED TURNER
Imagine a warm summer night with bountiful cotton candy, friendly dance competitions, hot air balloon rides, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, buttery popcorn and lots of ice cream.
Now, imagine it all happening at a NASCAR-themed carnival – appropriately dubbed “NASCARnival” –staged smack dab in the middle of a scenic 550-acre property belonging to NASCAR’s most royal family, the Pettys.
For children with serious and chronic medical conditions who come to Victory Junction camp in Randleman, North Carolina, for a few days in June, July or early August, this is the scene for about two-and-a-half hours on a Tuesday night during the week of their camp stay.
Oh, and there’s also the frequent appearance at NASCARnival by Victory Junction’s co-founders – NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and his son, former NASCAR driver turned broadcaster Kyle Petty – who mix and mingle with the campers while posing for pictures, signing autographs and just soaking in all the fun. Last but certainly not least, every NASCARnival features live pit stops performed by the pit crew of a well-known NASCAR team. NASCAR drivers often stop in as well.
“It really is sort of the pinnacle of the camp week for the staff, the volunteers and the campers,” said Nathan Unwin, camp program director at Victory Junction. “Everybody is comfortable by that point in the week, and so it’s really a night we look forward to throughout that day. The party really starts at dinner time.
“The campers, the staff, the volunteers come into the dining hall, and it’s really got that carnival atmosphere on a Tuesday. It just feels different when you come into dinner on a Tuesday. We have pizza, and everybody knows NASCARnival night is pizza night. The vibes are good.”
Of course, the same is true for the entire four or five days that children will spend at Victory Junction, which over its 21-year existence has served more than 10,000 young people with serious and chronic medical conditions – helping them build confidence, foster independence and discover their incredible potential.
That said, NASCARnival takes the fun and excitement of camp to a whole new level.
“We do something called a ‘car wash’ where we have two lines on each side of the room and there’s like a parade that comes through the middle of the room so our campers get to show off their dance moves with the staff,” Unwin said of NASCARnival. “And every time I’ve been here, the pit crew has gotten involved and danced with the kids, too. It is just a real party atmosphere already built in.”
After the dinner and dancing, everyone heads outside to be wowed by timed pit stop demonstrations and some revving of a real-life race car’s engine. After the pit stop, the true “carnival” portion of the evening begins. That’s when the tethered hot air balloon rides, various games and an assortment of edibles become the focus.
“We have fake tattoos, and there’s usually a soccer game going on, or a basketball game,” Unwin said. “We have a pie in the face, we have a dunk tank where the campers can dunk the counselors. There are plenty of treats for the kids to enjoy. There’s also usually a no-hands doughnut-eating competition. The campers and counselors will put the doughnuts on the table and see who can eat them with no hands.
“It’s just a real party, carnival atmosphere. There’s a lot going on to keep the kids entertained, making them feel like they’re at that carnival. They’re being celebrated, we’re celebrating our connections to NASCAR, and it’s just so much fun. It’s really something to be a part of that evening.”
If you know a camper who would have fun at Victory Junction, would like to help a child attend camp, or want to volunteer visit VictoryJunction.org/Discover.
KICKTHE TIRES LightTHE fIRES
At Victory Junction, we believe every child deserves to laugh out loud, dream fearlessly, and race toward a life filled with endless possibilities. But for kids with serious and chronic medical conditions, these experiences can often feel out of reach.
Learn more and discover how you can get involved at
Founded by NASCAR legends Richard and Kyle Petty, Victory Junction puts fun at the forefront – at no cost to campers or their families. Every activity is carefully designed to help children build confidence, foster independence, and discover their incredible potential.
Kids and families need your support. As a NASCAR fan, you know every race begins with preparation – “kicking the tires” to make sure everything’s ready before “lighting the fires” to power your favorite driver across the finish line.
We invite you to Kick the Tires by learning more about what makes Victory Junction a life-changing experience.
Feeling inspired? Then Light the Fires by helping send kids to camp. Refer a camper, or make a donation today!
ELGIN SWEEPER CLEARS THE WAY FOR NASCAR
When it comes to NASCAR races, tracks across the country share a commonality – their sweepers.
Elgin Sweeper became an Official Partner of NASCAR more than 10 years ago. That means NASCAR depends on Elgin sweepers to keep race tracks cleaner, safer, dryer and more eco-friendly.
“As the Official Sweeper of NASCAR, we’ve been proud to showcase our sweepers in action to keep tracks clean and races moving,” said Noah Baran, product manager, Elgin Sweeper. “With reliable, durable sweepers for everything from routine maintenance in cities and towns to emergency response cleanup and sweeping airport runways, Elgin Sweeper has a longstanding history of innovating sweepers that help our customers keep streets, runways and, in this case, race tracks clean.”
Partner of NASCAR’s Green initiatives.
“Working with NASCAR is great,” said Baran. “Elgin’s level of commitment and dedication once again resulted in a partnership built on trust. NASCAR trusts Elgin to get the job done, and our sweepers do exactly that at each race.”
To help dry race tracks whenever rain rolls in, Elgin’s highly sophisticated track-sweeping technology plays a key role in ensuring that the racing surface is safe and race-ready following weather delays. The process includes removing debris and oil-absorbent material from the racing surface.
Thanks to Elgin Sweeper technology NASCAR drivers are able to return to racing significantly faster than they once did – without fear of the track being ill-prepared. That is because Elgin Sweepers help safety crews absorb no less than 50 gallons of water per minute instead of pushing the water out of the racing groove.
Elgin sweepers remove debris and clean the surface of the race track. As the premier sweeper of NASCAR, the Elgin Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper can be seen on the track in its special NASCAR wrap.
This experience and innovation in the manufacturing of street sweepers began more than 100 years ago in Elgin, Illinois. NASCAR and Elgin Sweeper first partnered in 2001. That relationship flourished over time with Elgin serving as the first Official
“We know fans are eager for the race, and that’s why Elgin Crosswind Specialty Track Sweepers are highly efficient,” said Baran. “Dependability and efficiency are essential for all our customers regardless of the surface be it a race track or city streets or rural roads or airport runways. We have more than 100 years of experience in sweepers along with a wide dealer network for parts and service.”
The Elgin team remains proud of their partnership with NASCAR.
“NASCAR is such a huge brand, and we’re very glad to be collaborating at this level. The longevity of this partnership is also something we’re proud of. We love to see the Elgin sweeper on the track getting it ready for the drivers, crews and fans,” said Baran.
For more information, visit ElginSweeper.com.
About Elgin Sweeper Company
SOLD AND SERVICED THROUGH A NETWORK OF MORE THAN 100 DEALER LOCATIONS worldwide, Elgin Sweeper products are the sweepers of choice for a variety of general street maintenance, special industrial and airport applications. With more than 100 years of experience, Elgin Sweeper offers municipalities, contractors and industries the most sweeper options in the world, using the latest sweeping technologies — mechanical, pure vacuum, regenerative air, alternative fuel and waterless dust control. Elgin Sweeper is a subsidiary of Federal Signal Corporation’s Environmental Solutions Group. For more information, visit www.ElginSweeper.com.
TRUSTED ON SOME PRETTY IMPORTANT PAVEMENT...
Whether sweeping some of the most well known race tracks in America or cleaning the streets in your neighborhood – Elgin sweepers have a reputation for performance, reliability, durability. With over 100 years of experience, a full line of sweepers for every application, and industry-leading green technology –Elgin can always be trusted to get the job done, and take care of the environment along the way.
Scan to learn more about Elgin’s trusted performance – or tune into any NASCAR® - sanctioned race to witness it for yourself.
BIG EASTER WEEKEND FOR STORIED NORTH CAROLINA TRACK
BY JARED TURNER
For the first time since 2013 and just the third time since 2004, a NASCAR national touring series will compete at fabled Rockingham Speedway when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series serve up a doubleheader on the weekend of April 18-19.
Rockingham, a high-banked 1.017-mile North Carolina track that has challenged some of NASCAR’s most legendary drivers, was a fixture of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule from 1965-2004 but hasn’t hosted a Cup Series race in the years since. “The Rock,” as Rockingham has long been nicknamed, made a brief appearance on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule in 2012 and 2013 but has since sat idle.
Having Rockingham on the Xfinity Series schedule for the first time in 21 years and on the Craftsman Truck Series tour for the first time in over a decade has a lot of people very happy – even if neither series is NASCAR’s premier division.
“We’re very excited to see it coming back,” said City of Rockingham Mayor John Hutchinson, an area native who has served in his role as mayor of the nearby city since late 2021. “I mean, it’s a big deal to the community. It’s a big deal to pure fans of NASCAR and NASCAR history.”
NASCAR’s return to The Rock is also a big deal to the local economy, which has suffered greatly in the sport’s absence but will benefit tremendously when the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series roll into town.
“It, of course, brings a lot of people into the community – whether they’re staying overnight here or just coming for race day, or going to the grocery stores, or going by a restaurant before or after the race or something like that,” Hutchinson said. “Those things make a big impact on the local economy. A big, positive impact. Even people just filling up with gas at a convenience store, it’s a real boost to the local economy.”
Locals – especially those who can remember when NASCAR visited Rockingham twice a year from 1966 through 2003 – are feeling especially nostalgic about the return of the roaring engines to the rural town.
“It’s something they’ve been hoping for for a very long time,” Hutchinson said. “You hear a lot of chatter and see a lot of activity on social media, and you hear people talking about it out in the community. I’ve had conversations with people that are excited because they’re going to get to take their children to a race at The
Rock, where they remember going with their parents or grandparents many years ago.
“So, it’s a generational thing as well. People are excited to share with their families the same experiences that they’ve had.”
The City of Rockingham is doing its part to drum up interest in the race weekend, working closely with NASCAR and speedway officials to promote the event through signage, social media channels and ticket sales. Just as it has most every year on the eve of a NASCAR weekend, the City of Rockingham will host what it calls “Thunder Fest” on Thursday leading up to the race.
The festive event, which will be headlined this year by the Marshall Tucker Band, features lots of vendors and food trucks, and has historically attracted a large crowd.
“We want this weekend in April to go off really, really well,” Hutchinson said. “We want NASCAR to know we are all in as a community and local government and that we are here to work with them any way we can.”
Hutchinson said that local officials were thrilled but not totally surprised when NASCAR reached out about adding Rockingham to its Xfinity Series and Truck Series schedules for 2025.
“It’s something we had worked toward and something we had been very frank about the fact that we would love for NASCAR to come back and host events here,” the mayor said. “So, we had always been very hopeful. I think the real reaction was just a lot of excitement. It certainly wasn’t shock, because it was something we had wanted to see come and something we had let them know we were very interested in trying to do again.”
Among the big names who will be competing in the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham is 18-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner and longtime fan favorite Kasey Kahne, who is coming out of retirement from NASCAR racing just to get in on the action – which he believes fans will enjoy.
“I sure hope it means a lot to them,” said Kahne, who made his most recent NASCAR start in 2018. “I know for myself, it means a lot. I feel like it’s a track that can be on the NASCAR schedule, whether it’s yearly or every other year or Cup goes back there eventually. It’s just a neat place. I think it is really good for NASCAR and really good for the fans.
“But that’s the thing: You need that support for it to make sense. So, you just have to kind of see how it all works out. But, yeah, I think it’s a great NASCAR track, and it has a lot of history.”
If the race weekend is ultimately deemed a success, it could help convince NASCAR to put Rockingham back on the Cup Series schedule at some point in the future. Perhaps even as soon as 2026.
“Oh gosh, we would love to see that, obviously,” Hutchinson said. “For us, it would be a complete return to our roots for the last 60 years, and NASCAR would be returning to its roots. It would just feel like a reunion of really close, really old friends. I can talk about the economic impact or other ways that NASCAR’s return is important, but just having that relationship back and knowing that we’re working together again and have reunited after many years, that feeling alone would be wonderful for us to have.
“It would just feel like spending a weekend with a lifelong friend you haven’t seen in a long time. It would be like a reunion with someone you’re really excited to see.”
Milestone Moments at THE ROCK
OCT. 31, 1965: NASCAR legend Curtis Turner prevailed over three-time Cup Series champion Cale Yarborough in the inaugural premier series race at Rockingham Speedway, which then measured exactly 1 mile. Turner, driving a 1965 Ford prepared by the famed Wood Brothers, took the checkered flag a whopping 11 seconds ahead of the runnerup and led 239 of the race’s 500 laps.
MARCH 13, 1977: Then-future NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty became the first driver to make it three premier series wins in a row at Rockingham, beating runner-up Darrell Waltrip at the finish by a comfortable eight seconds in his iconic No. 43 STP-sponsored Petty Enterprises car. The race featured 30 lead changes, with Petty never relinquishing the top spot after grabbing it for the final time with 59 laps remaining.
OCT. 23, 1994: With two races still remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series season, Dale Earnhardt marched his way into the history books by clinching a record-tying seventh series championship on the way to a win at The Rock. Earnhardt, who officially clinched the championship late in the race, edged Rick Mast by .06 seconds at the finish line to put the cherry on top of an amazing day and season in his fabled black No. 3 Chevrolet.
FEB. 26, 2001: Eight days after the tragic loss of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt on the final lap of the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Steve Park secured an emotional victory in a race that started on Sunday but was postponed to Monday because of rain. Park nipped Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bobby Labonte at the checkered flag by a scant .138 seconds to provide some healing for a NASCAR world still reeling from the loss of one of its biggest stars.
NOV. 9, 2003: Driving a Dodge for team owner Ray Evernham, 1988 Cup Series champion and perennial most popular driver Bill Elliott triumphed for the 44th and final time in his illustrious Cup Series career. Elliott led 140 of 393 laps and took the win over second-place finisher Jimmie Johnson by just over 1.2 seconds.
Kasey Kahne PLANS ROCKINGHAM RETURN
Health Issues Derailed His NASCAR Career in 2018
BY JARED TURNER
Nearly seven years after his last NASCAR Cup Series start, Kasey Kahne is making a return to the sport – in the April 19 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at North Carolina’s Rockingham Speedway.
ahne will drive a No. 33 Chevrolet fielded by Richard Childress Racing, the organization founded by NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress. The car will carry primary sponsorship from HendrickCars. com – the official website promoting the vast collection of new and used cars for sale at dealerships owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Rick Hendrick, Kahne’s former NASCAR Cup Series boss. An 18-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, Kahne had to step away from NASCAR’s premier division much earlier than planned due to complications from dehydration
that forced him to hang up his driving helmet in the middle of the 2018 season. Since then, Kahne has returned to racing – for the Sprint Car team he owns – but the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham will be his first in a full-bodied stock car since competing at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 2, 2018.
Kahne, who shook down his Xfinity Series car at Rockingham in late January, finished second in his lone Cup Series start at the 1.017-mile North Carolina track and went to Victory Lane in his only NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at “The Rock.”
In this Q&A with NASCAR Pole Position, the 45-year-old driver from Enumclaw, Washington, talks about his return to NASCAR racing, his health and more.
HOW DID THE TEST AT ROCKINGHAM IN LATE JANUARY GO?
No surprises. I was kind of wondering going in how everything would come together – just even that first lap on track. How that would feel. It was pretty wild just driving down the backstretch and into Turn 3 for the first time. By the time I loaded into Turn 3, it just felt so normal. That first lap, it didn’t feel like I’d been gone for six years. That’s for sure. It felt very normal. I was excited about that and just worked from there with the team and had a really good five or six hours of testing.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE TWO HALL OF FAME TEAM OWNERS PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THIS EFFORT?
Yeah, it’s a really significant role from both sides, and I think it works because of Chevrolet. Both companies being a part of Chevrolet, and Chevrolet is a big part of RCR. It was pretty neat talking to Mr. Hendrick. He wanted to be part of this. I brought it up, and he wanted to be part of it with HendrickCars.com. I got the ball rolling … and Richard wanted to do it, too. It was a neat connection there with everybody. It took a little bit of time to make it all happen, but to have those two owners committed to doing it felt really good. I’m looking forward to having a good show in that car.
WHEN YOU STEPPED AWAY, DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD EVER GET BACK IN A NASCAR STOCK CAR?
At the time, I didn’t. At the time, I thought that was it, and that was not necessarily the way I wanted my NASCAR racing to end. But as bad as I felt, as difficult as it was on my body, that’s where I was, and I knew that’s where I needed to be, just with the way it all went down. I pretty much committed to myself like halfway through that Darlington race, which was my final Cup race, that “there’s no way you can keep doing this to your body. It’s not going to end well.”
It was brutal and just really difficult, but that’s how it ended, and I thought I was pretty much done. To be able to do this race at Rockingham and feel really good about it is exciting. For a while there, I wasn’t excited. I didn’t really care much about NASCAR because of just the way it all kind of came to an end for me.
In a way, it was very upsetting. In another way, I just needed to move on. So, I just kind of got out of it and didn’t care much about it. But as times went, I’ve gotten more into it and just know how good it was for me over all the years that I was involved in it, and how much I enjoyed it. To have a shot to get back in a car and do a race at Rockingham is exciting for me, and I’m really looking forward to it.
WHEN DID YOU RECEIVE THE MEDICAL CLEARANCES NEEDED TO GO ALL IN WITH SPRINT CARS?
TO HAVE A SHOT TO GET BACK IN A CAR AND DO A RACE AT ROCKINGHAM IS EXCITING FOR ME, AND I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
KASEY KAHNE
It’s really just been the last three years that I’ve done a lot of Sprint Car racing. And I’m going to do probably 70 races or so in 2025. Racing is my passion, and it’s been my passion forever. To be able to still do it and enjoy it and enjoy the competition, always trying to do a better job driving and understanding the cars and all of that, I still really enjoy that.
I’m not going to be able to do it forever. I know that. But right now, I still can, and I enjoy putting that effort in each year. So, that’s kind of where I’m at. IS THERE LESS CONCERN ABOUT DEHYDRATION IF YOU’RE RUNNING A SPRINT CAR, XFINITY SERIES OR TRUCK SERIES RACE VERSUS A CUP SERIES RACE, BECAUSE THOSE RACES ARE SHORTER?
Sprint Car, for sure, because usually you’re in the car for eight laps for a heat race and you have practice and qualifying and the main event is 35 to 40 laps. You can do a 40-lap main event in probably about eight minutes if there’s just green flag action and no cautions. So, the period of time is so much different than a three- or four-hour Cup race.
And the cars are different. You have air just coming straight in. The temperatures aren’t anywhere near what they would be in a Cup car, so the Sprint Car deal is much different as far as what it puts on your body compared to the Cup deal. And Xfinity, in my opinion, is half of what a Cup deal would be.
RETURNTOROCKINGHAM
Another thing about my last Cup season was that it got worse as the season went. Every week my body was worse and couldn’t get back to where it needed to be to be prepared for the next week. So, by the time you’re in middle or late summer doing that Cup season year after year, I just got to where it was damn near impossible at the end of it to do it the right way and be as alert and into it throughout the entire race as the other guys. I couldn’t do that. That’s why I came to a stop. The Xfinity Series and the Sprint Car stuff, it’s so much different than that.
WHO MADE THE FIRST PHONE CALL IN PUTTING THIS XFINITY SERIES DEAL TOGETHER?
I started it all. I saw the Rockingham race go on the schedule and kind of got excited and thought, “Man, this is something I could do.” I started reaching out at that point in time and figured out what kind of sponsorship and money I needed to take to a team to get a team excited. And RCR, they got behind it and were very excited, and I was able to put the money together between HendrickCars.com, Curb Records and Caravan Trailers – all partners of mine in the past and present.
It’s fun when you can do something like that. I’ve never done that before where I put the funding together for a race in a NASCAR series. It was fun to do that personally and do it with people who are excited and have supported my racing for many years on and off. It was pretty cool, and I’m really happy that it all came together and is going to work out.
WHY ROCKINGHAM?
I always enjoyed racing at that track in the past. I hadn’t been there in a long time and just kind of knew exactly what I was getting into when I went to the test – minus the repave. I didn’t know anything about the repave until a couple weeks before the test. But the track still has a lot of the same characteristics. I just kind of understood it. And it was an off-weekend from the Sprint Car series I’m doing. I just thought it would be a really cool one to come back to and see how it all felt. It’s a track that’s always been pretty cool and really cool to race/drive, for me, over the years.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ROCKINGHAM THAT SUITS YOUR STYLE?
In the past, I always thought it was how it kind of wore the tires out. It would tear the tires up and the falloff was big throughout an entire run. The first couple of laps in a run, you had so much more grip than you did from lap 10 or 20 or 30 or 40. Just being able to kind of manage that was always something I really enjoyed and felt like I was pretty good at.
The track will definitely be different now with the repave. There’s more grip, and the tire falloff is going to be much less. But, like I said, a lot of the characteristics are still there. Some of the feels and bumps in the track are just a bit smoother. I think it will still be perfectly fine. Hopefully, the track widens out and we can have a good race. For a repave, I think it will be as good as any repave there’s been. It can be a great day.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR KASEY KAHNE?
Like I said, I still have a huge passion for racing. That’s why I’ve been doing the Sprint Car stuff and wanted to try this NASCAR racing out again. RCR and I are thinking, “Let’s just do this one and enjoy it, have fun, see our results, and then after that, look and decide if we’re one and done or if we’re one and maybe try another one.”
It’s just kind of up in the air at this point, but I really just want to do the first one and enjoy it and have some fun. We’re going to enjoy the weekend and then look at it and maybe do more after that. Or maybe not.
THE SCENE VAULT PODCAST Million Dollar Bill
BY RICK HOUSTON
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott recently sat down with veteran journalists Rick Houston and Steve Waid for an episode of The Scene Vault Podcast. The topic? The inaugural Winston Million in 1985.
YOU WON THE 1983 SEASON FINALE AND YOU WON ANOTHER THREE RACES IN 1984. YOU GOT SPONSORSHIP FROM COORS. THINGS WERE DEFINITELY LOOKING UP, BUT WITH MORE SUCCESS ON THE RACE TRACK, YOU STARTED TO GET MORE ATTENTION FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES. WAS THAT SOMETHING YOU WERE USED TO?
Bill Elliott: Absolutely not. I was more comfortable under the race car than in front of the cameras. I struggled with that a lot. You don’t understand until you get put in this position. In high school, I couldn’t get up in front of a group of three or four people and say two words. I was the shyest person, probably in the classroom. To be able to come from that and be put in the position we were in 1985 was like light years.
We were working 24/7/365 to get stuff done. I definitely made some people mad … I’ll be the first to admit that, and I probably set some wrong examples in a lot of ways. But I was handling things the best I could.
I finally, after a period of time, I realized, ‘Hey, look … there’s a time for media, there’s a time for fans, there’s a time for the race car and there’s a personal time. We need to separate this out.’ I think
by the time we got to Darlington in 1985, things were fine. I finally got things halfway figured out. I didn’t have everything figured out, but I was able to kind of keep my sanity.
The biggest pleasure for me was when I sat down in a race car and put the window net up, put my helmet on. I mean … that was my time. I got away from everybody and everything, and that was where I was at peace.
THE THING YOU LOVE TO DO, YOU HAD TO PUT UP WITH LOT OF STUFF OUTSIDE OF THAT. BUT YOU WERE STARTING TO BE ABLE TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE.
I’ll give you one example. Used to, you’d walk through downtown Dawsonville. There wasn’t that many people there anyway, but you’d meet somebody and they’d say, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ and go from there. By the time 1985 rolled along, it’s like somebody would walk up to me, and I’d look at them and say, ‘What do you want?’ because they’d want something. Instead of being the person you were, it changed you into a person you really wasn’t.
THE WINSTON MILLION PROGRAM WAS ANNOUNCED PRIOR TO THE 1985 SEASON. DID YOU HAVE ANY REACTION TO IT? WAS THAT A GOAL THAT YOU GUYS SET OUT, OR WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT EVOLVED AS RACES STARTED TO PILE UP?
I was sitting in the Waldorf when they announced that. I’ll never forget it as long as I live. They said, ‘OK, we’re going to give a million dollars to the guy that can win three of these four races … if
you win Daytona and you win Talladega and you win Charlotte and you win Darlington.’
Well, I hadn’t won at Daytona. I hadn’t won here and I hadn’t won there, but I had won at Charlotte. I was thinking to myself, ‘Man, that’d be nice, and that’s all I could think.’ I’ll guarantee if you went to Vegas and put odds on it, you could have probably won the lottery easier.
YOU WON THE DAYTONA 500 AND THEN YOU GO TO TALLADEGA AND YOU HAVE AN OIL FITTING BREAK LOOSE AND LOSE NEARLY TWO FULL LAPS, BUT MAKE THEM UP WITHOUT A CAUTION. HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT?
Most of the guys were pulling gears where their engines would turn more RPM. We geared our car higher and we’re turning less RPM, so it’s easier on the motor. It’s not as taxing on the motor.
The race starts out and we’re kind of rolling along there. The race pace picks up pretty good. Well, heck, some guys blow their motors up. You look at the attrition, especially at Daytona and Talladega, back in that era, it was pretty bad.
We just had a good, slick race car. Ernie (Elliott, Bill’s older brother) is the most underrated motor guy on the planet. I’ve said that 1,000 times. He’s not the most politically correct guy, but I’m telling you what, I’ve watched him work weeks, hand grinding cylinder heads back in that day and he made good, reliable power. That was 90 percent of our success. We had very few motor failures in those times. He was such a perfectionist and so anal about what he did, it was crazy. That just kind of unfolded to fall right into our hands.
YOU GO TO THE PRESS BOX AT TALLADEGA AND I WOULD ALMOST BET THAT ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS, IF NOT THE FIRST, QUESTION WAS ABOUT WINNING THE WINSTON MILLION.
BILL ELLIOTT
■ 1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
■ Earned NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award 16 times.
■ Won the inaugural Winston Million in 1985.
That was probably before I even got to the press box, because they were all over that.
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU BEGIN TO SENSE THE PRESSURE STARTING TO BUILD?
It really wasn’t until on toward Charlotte. Charlotte at that time, (track promoter “Humpy”) Wheeler and everybody just hyped stuff so much. You had people calling you that didn’t have a clue what racing was all about.
I’ll tell you one more story about (NASCAR Hall of Fame member) Dale Inman. He told me one time that he was talking to some reporter, and they asked him where he was going that weekend.
Dale said, ‘We’re going down to Talladega.’
The reporter asked, ‘Where’s that at?’
Dale replied, ‘When you find out where that is and what’s going on, you call me back.’
My point is, you had people covering racing that had no idea what racing was. You’re talking about the New York Times and Sports Illustrated. Everybody that
was anybody was showing up. By the time we got to Charlotte, it was like a circus. I mean, it was truly like Humpy’s circus.
By the end of the weekend, it became a tough deal. We still qualified good. We ran good. We just had a lug nut got caught in a brake caliper and broke the brake line and we had to change it. So we lost whatever time and numerous laps getting that fixed. That kind of put us out of contention for the Million.
We had sat on the pole and won the Darlington race in the spring. We took that car, pulled it apart, did everything we possibly could to it and put it right back together like I’d raced it in the spring. It went back down there and sat on the pole. I wasn’t the best car at Darlington that fall. Cale (Yarborough) was good, (Dale) Earnhardt was good, Harry Gant was good and they all had trouble. I got down to racing Cale and he broke a power-steering line late in the race and I was able to get by him, but I was about a fifth- to 10th-place car at that point.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE TROOPERS IN YOUR GARAGE STALL, WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT? WAS THAT AN R.J. REYNOLDS THING? WAS THAT A BILL ELLIOT THING? It must have been a race track thing. I don’t know. I don’t really know who did that. They were two really nice guys. The way I laid it out was just like I said earlier. There was a time for the media, a time to work on a race car and a time to race. There was a time to ask the questions and then let me focus on what I need to focus on and go from there.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO CROSS UNDER THE CHECKERED FLAG AND THEN BE IN VICTORY LANE?
You know, the coolest thing and what I remember the most is the fans never left. They never left the grandstand. That was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. It took a long time for that to sink in. There was a Coors distributor there, and I got to be really good, close friends with him. He took us to dinner that night, and then when we flew back home, there were all these people at the shop. I mean, it was crazy. It was crazy, how they follow that stuff. I mean thousands of fans showed up at shop. It was unbelievable, I mean, totally unbelievable that night. AS INCREDIBLE A SEASON AS YOU HAD IN 1985, YOU WOUND UP THIRD IN THE POINT STANDINGS. HOW FRUSTRATING WAS THAT?
A lot of it was our lack of racing knowledge. We had some stuff break that shouldn’t have broke. The short-track races took us out of contention. That was just our fault. We focused on the speedway stuff and then the short-track stuff just kind of got pushed off to the side. We tried to just nurse it along the best we could. In 1985, there was only 11 or 12 of us in the shop … that’s motor shop and chassis shop, including me. I worked right there with the rest of them. I think that’s why 1986 was such a disaster, because it took such a toll on us.
Cole Custer Earns a Second Chance
A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE HIS FIRST CUP SERIES STINT
BY DUSTIN ALBINO
It’s rare for a driver to earn a second chance at success in the NASCAR Cup Series, but Cole Custer has done just that in his new role as driver of the No. 41 Ford owned by businessman Gene Haas and fielded by the Haas Factory Team.
Custer’s first Cup Series tenure started in 2020 and produced little to cheer about aside from an upset victory at Kentucky Speedway during his first of three seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing.
He returned to the operation’s Xfinity Series team in 2023 with something to prove. While the results weren’t there compared to his seven-win 2019 season, Custer notched a trio of Xfinity Series triumphs. One of those victories came in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, as the California native claimed his first NASCAR title in grand fashion.
“I think it was a great experience,” Custer said of his twoyear stint in the Xfinity Series. “I learned a lot from my team and how to work with your team and build some confidence. At the end of the day, I learned how to be a better race car driver and move things forward.”
Custer followed that effort with a pair of victories in 2024, qualifying for the Championship 4 yet again. He finished runner-up to Justin Allgaier in the title fight.
Days after the 2024 Coca-Cola 600, Stewart-Haas Racing revealed its four-car Cup Series team would cease operations at the end of the season.
Haas, co-owner of SHR with Tony Stewart, retained one of the team’s four charters. The organization rebranded to Haas Factory Team and Custer was offered the opportunity to return to the Cup Series
“It’s not what anyone wanted, but you try to make the most of the situation and go from there,” Custer said of when he found out SHR would cease operations. “I feel like we put a good group together for this year. We just have to try to get some base hits to start and try to build into what we want.”
Admittedly, Custer’s plans for 2025 were fluid, but getting back to the Cup Series was his primary goal. So when Haas decided to promote him, it was a no-brainer to accept the opportunity.
Custer became more of a team leader during his two seasons back in the Xfinity Series. He also got married and had a son. This time around, he feels more prepared for the grind of the Cup Series schedule.
“The first time I was in the Cup Series, I was (22 years old) and there is so much new stuff and it’s hard to have a voice because you’re so young,” Custer said. “As you get older and have more experience, you have more of a reason to have a voice because you have more experience, so you’re able to lead the team a little bit.”
His crew has noticed the improvement.
Joe Custer – Cole’s father – is the president of Haas Factory Team. His connections with Haas run deep. And while he tries to stay away from the day-to-day operations, he lets Cole be himself.
“(Cole has) changed and is a different human being than he was three years ago in a number of ways,” Joe Custer said. “He’s older and that’s just the truth. When he first came into Cup, he was 22 years old, and I don’t care what anyone says, human nature as a 22-year-old is to listen and if you have an opinion, you’re probably guarded. You have Kevin Harvick and everyone else around him to learn from. His job wasn’t to lead, it was to listen and follow.
“He goes back to Xfinity, has to get resettled and recalibrated and we challenge him with being a leader. He has to have a voice on our Xfinity program from his point of view: pit crew, engineering, all the things that he has to be an impact. He did.
“Constantly, both cars improved and he saw that.
“Now, we’re into this year and I think he’s more prepared to have self-confidence and be the leader that it takes in a singlecar team to give feedback. Sometimes, it’s harsh and it’s difficult feedback that is constructive criticism,” Joe Custer continued.
“Other times, it’s cheerleading. I think he’s better prepared to manage that and he has to this point. He has stepped up as a leader in the last few months. I’m curious to see the trajectory and how our team comes through all of it.”
Having previously experienced the demands of the Cup Series, Cole Custer knows it’s a constant grind to remain competitive and he understands what’s ahead.
“The first time around, I was in some ways ready and felt like I had a good amount of speed and things were clicking,” Custer recalled. “With how much information is thrown at you and how to process it and trying to figure out what matters and what doesn’t, I had room to grow in that area and the confidence of what you’re doing inside the car. I feel like this time around I’m a lot more prepared with all the information that is thrown at you.”
The offseason was filled with change at Haas Factory Team. The team worked tirelessly for multiple months to be ready for the early season Cup Series races. It also entered an alliance with RFK Racing, which has expanded to three cars this season. Custer had previously worked with Ryan Preece, who was in the Haas pipeline for the previous three seasons, but had only had casual conversations with Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher prior to the teams coming together.
Haas Factory Team is in new territory as a single-car team. It’s been a multi-car organization since 2007, predating threetime Cup Series champion Tony Stewart’s involvement.
“My challenge to our group and Gene’s challenge is constant improvement,” Joe Custer said. “Wherever we start the season, we need to progressively improve in every aspect: driver, pit crew, engineering, aero, shop, engines. Every aspect of our program, we need to see measurable improvement during the year.
“We are lacking no resources, but it’s a different vibe and a different way to approach the sport as a single-car team. How do we become ultra-competitive with that footprint? RFK is critical to that. Ford is critical to that. Roush Yates is critical to that. We have to be good at exploiting those relationships and benefiting them and us as a single-car team. That may take some time; we have to be patient. What we can’t be is not improving and accepting that as the standard.”
Both father and son believe there are advantages to being a single-car operation. For instance, all of the focus is on one car, rather than resources being spread across multiple entries.
“When you look at who was top 20 in points last year, they are competing for wins,” Cole Custer noted. “Guys who were in the top 20 had probably four or five shots to win. We have to keep trying to live in that top 20 and from there, you will give yourself a shot to win at times.”
In their first race out of the gate, Custer and Haas Factory Team were in position to win the Daytona 500 on the final lap. However, contact from behind turned the No. 41 car into Denny Hamlin, allowing William Byron to slip by and win The Great American Race for the second consecutive year.
Being in contention is all Custer could’ve asked for. He believes there will be multiple times during the season when the team will have opportunities. At which point, it will be up to him and first-year crew chief Aaron Kramer to capitalize.
“The field is extremely tight and you have to be detailed and good as a driver, maxing everything out,” Custer said. “It’s as hard as it’s ever been.”
2 Decades of
BACKING THE BURTONS
State Water Heaters Has a 1-2 Punch with Ward and Jeb
BY JARED TURNER
State Water Heaters has been involved in NASCAR for 20 years, making a profound impact along the way. The company’s first foray into the sport came in late 2006 when the Ashland, Tennessee-based outfit agreed to sponsor 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton for the 2007 NASCAR Cup Series season.
It was around that same time that State Water Heaters also forged a relationship with Burton’s then-teenage son Jeb Burton, who was driving in Late Model Stock Car events and hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps to NASCAR’s big leagues.
While Ward Burton’s driving days have long since passed, State Waters Heaters remains a committed partner of the five-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner’s many off-track ventures, which most notably include the nonprofit Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation based out of Ward’s hometown of Halifax, Virginia.
As for Jeb Burton, State Water Heaters is now a primary sponsor on his No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet that competes full time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In addition, the more than 75-year-old company – a leading manufacturer of commercial and residential water heaters, with an inventory of more than 500 water heater products – has joined forces
with the younger Burton on several of his off-track endeavors.
“What’s better than having a partnership with Ward Burton? Well, having a 1-2 punch of Jeb on the track, and Ward at the track, and Ward and Jeb in the woods showing our customers their tricks and tips on skeet shooting and fishing,” said Jeff Storie, State Water Heaters’ marketing director. “It kind of went from, ‘We’ll let’s help Jeb get his start in racing’ to ‘Hey, having both of them as a brand advocate and somebody who’s happy to spend time with our customers is a pretty powerful thing.’”
Like his father, Jeb is an avid outdoorsman who feels as comfortable and natural in the woods clutching a hunting rifle or bow-and-arrow as he does wheeling a race car at nearly 200 mph. That makes the younger Burton just as natural of a fit as his dad for the State Water Heaters brand.
“Their wholesalers are blue-collar, hard-working Americans, and their contractors are too,” Jeb said. “And we just resonate with those folks. They like to have fun, hunt, and drink a beer afterward, and we like to do the same thing.”
Since helping Jeb Burton launch his Late Model career in 2007, State Water Heaters has been a primary and associate sponsor of the younger Burton in multiple NASCAR series with multiple teams. Their relationship has included meaningful partnerships in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Jeb’s first pairing with State Water Heaters in a NASCAR national series came in 2012, when the company served as primary sponsor on a Craftsman Truck Series entry that he and his father both spent time driving.
“I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without that relationship,” said Jeb, a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner and one-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race winner as of press time.
“It’s been a great partnership.”
Away from the track, State Water Heaters provides paid advertising in support of “Crossroads with the Burtons” – a popular Sportsman Channel TV series that Jeb created several years ago to give viewers the opportunity to witness firsthand his passion for the outdoors and wildlife conservation. The company is also a partner of the “Crossroads with the Burtons” podcast that features Ward and Jeb and is available on Racing America, Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
In addition, Jeb takes semi-frequent hunting and fishing excursions with State Water Heaters customers. On one particularly memorable trip, a State Water Heaters customer caught a 97-pound catfish.
“That kind of stuff is just once-in-alifetime stuff,” Jeb said. “It was pretty neat to do that with them.”
Jeb, who also runs his own media production company, uses an outside-the-box approach to finding sponsors, building relationships with them and giving them the most value for their marketing dollars. This has gone a long way toward cementing his longtime partnership with State Water Heaters.
“If you can give a company three or four different opportunities to be involved and get their name brand out there and engage with their customers or their relationships, you can create those win-wins, and Jeb has been really good at nurturing that,” Ward said. “With State Water Heaters, they have seen the different opportunities present themselves, and they have decided to get involved with some of those opportunities. I think that’s helped keep the relationship strong and healthy, versus just doing one thing and doing that same thing all the time.”
partnership is centered around racing, but we do a whole lot of other things outside of racing as well.”
Jeb hopes that he will eventually be able to fulfill a lifelong dream of competing full time in the NASCAR Cup Series with support from State Water Heaters. This year, as has been the case for several years in a row now, the company is serving as both a primary sponsor and associate sponsor of his NASCAR Xfinity Series efforts.
The more Jeb is able to diversify the ways by which State Water Heaters can team up with him to reach customers and prospective customers, the better off he knows the relationship will be.
“We do a lot of different things with them,” Jeb said. “The
“It’s not easy to keep relationships like that,” said Jeb, who turns 33 in August.
“You never know, right? We’ve just worked really hard to try to be able to keep it, and it’s been beneficial for both parties. We just appreciate them and want to keep growing, and we want to get to the Cup Series.
“That’s where they want to go, and that’s where we want to go. We’re just trying to get to the right opportunity.”
Jeb Burton couldn’t be more thankful for State Water Heaters’ commitment to him and his dad over all these many years at various levels of racing and well beyond the track.
“Every team in the garage has called them, as you can imagine, and they’ve stuck with me and my family,” Jeb said. “Their loyalty has been great. We race against some of their competitors all the time. It just means a lot to us that they’ve stayed with the Burtons. And we want to get to the Cup Series and hopefully finish my career out with them.
“I’d like to race for another 10 years. I’m 32 right now, and I’d like to go to 42 or 45, something like that. I think that’d be a hell of a journey.”
Jeb can hardly believe it’s been a full 20 years since State Water Heaters first stuck its proverbial toe in the NASCAR sponsorship waters. He considers it an honor and a privilege that they’ve spent the overwhelming majority of that time with the Burtons.
“That’s when the relationship started – 20 years ago with dad,” he said. “We’ve been lucky to be partnered with a great brand like State Water Heaters. A lot of people depend on State Water Heaters in their house, and some of them don’t even know it until they see the brand involved with us on the track or on the shows. It’s a cool brand to be a partner with, and, hopefully, we can make it another 20 years. That’d be great.”
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
SCOTT RIGGS PROUD TO BE LAYNE RIGGS’ DAD
BY JARED TURNER
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Scott Riggs – the father of current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Layne Riggs – recently had an encounter he won’t soon forget.
“The other day somebody came up to him and said, ‘Are you Layne’s dad?’” said 22-year-old Layne Riggs, who’s in his second season as a full-time driver in the NASCAR truck ranks. “He said, ‘I want that to be my nickname from now on. I don’t want to be Scott; I want to be Layne’s dad.’”
The elder Riggs, who went winless over 208 starts in NASCAR’s premier division from 2004 to 2013, certainly has good reason to be proud of his second-generation racer son.
Before landing a full-time Truck Series ride, Layne Riggs had already made a name for himself by edging Late Model Stock Car legend Peyton Sellers for the 2022 Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series National Championship. Layne captured the biggest prize available at NASCAR’s grassroots level while winning 18 Late Model Stock races over the course of that year.
Prevailing at multiple tracks, Riggs earned 10 of his trophies at fabled South Boston Speedway in Virginia where he also claimed the track championship.
“It was fun, we won a lot of races, but it was the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life, to this day,” said Riggs, who along with being a regular at South Boston made starts at other tracks across Virginia and North Carolina. “I was in college trying to get my engineering degree, which I do have now, thankfully, and was taking tests during the week and all of a sudden, we’d have to go race on the weekend. We would go to one track on Friday night and another on Saturday.
“We only had two cars, so we had one set up for each track. If it got tore up, we had to fix it for the next week. It took a lot of time, effort and stress to make that all happen. But luckily, we had enough speed and were able to barely beat Peyton for the championship. I think that’s what finally put me on the map and what started to give people the faith in me to give me other opportunities.”
Those opportunities included several cameo gigs for 2023 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where Riggs made the most of his limited number of starts.
It wasn’t until 2024, however, that Riggs secured the proverbial keys that unlocked what’s so far been his biggest break in the sport – the full-time seat of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports truck that claimed the 2022 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship with Zane Smith behind the wheel.
For Riggs, landing the coveted No. 38 ride was as much about being in the right place at the right time as his on-track performance. Moments before making the last of three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2023 for Kaulig Racing, Riggs had a conversation that changed the course of his career.
“My last race with Kaulig, at Martinsville, is where I met Jerry Freeze – president of Front Row Motorsports – and he came up to me before the race and was like, ‘I’ve been watching you. How would you like to drive my truck next year?’ I was like, ‘Whoa! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.’ He said, ‘All right, I’ll watch you today and see how you do.’ That Monday morning, he called me and said, ‘You’re our guy. We want you next year.’
“Everything happens for a reason. Jerry happened to be there that day and happened to watch me, and I happened to do good. And now I happen to be in the truck. It’s definitely some luck involved, and a lot of hard work and good fortune.”
In his first season as driver of the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports truck, Riggs scored a pair of late-season wins – one at The Milwaukee Mile, the other at Bristol Motor Speedway –but missed the playoffs due to a range of setbacks that kept him out of Victory Lane and resulted in several poor outcomes in the regular season. Still, it was a solid rookie campaign for Riggs, who finished 2024 on an extremely strong note that allowed him to build significant momentum for 2025.
“All of a sudden it became playoff time, and I won the first two races of the playoffs, and it was like, ‘Man, if we could have just done this one race earlier, we would have been just fine,’” Riggs said. “That was kind of a bitter pill, but I’d rather be winning and not be in the playoffs than be in the playoffs and just points racing my way into every race in each round. You get a lot more recognition when you’re winning races than you do for anything else.”
Before Riggs ever won an event in a NASCAR national touring division, the Bahama, North Carolina, native earned his racing chops with a lot of long hours spent grinding away at the grassroots level where he was fortunate enough to receive lots of wisdom and insights from his racer dad.
“I was just getting started in my car racing adventures, and he was getting out of it,” said the younger Riggs, who began competing in a four-cylinder class at Orange County Speedway in North Carolina around the same time his dad made his final NASCAR Cup Series start. “It was a good transition. It didn’t really work out for him in his career. Obviously, he wanted it to go further, but he just didn’t get the right opportunities for it to work out. But he’s said he wouldn’t trade it for the world, because he’s been there for almost every single one of my races from the beginning. It was Riggs Racing, and it was me and him and a group of volunteers that made it happen.”
The elder Riggs continued to play a major role in Layne’s progression as recently as just a couple of years ago.
“We raced in 2023 some with our local volunteer-help car,” Layne said. “Dad was the crew chief and truck driver, and we worked on the cars, and I went to high school and the start of college. I was going to school during the day and would come home at night, and we would work on the car and go race that weekend.
“It was a very big father-son thing. He was super-involved, and without him, I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now, for sure – just from every aspect.”
With one eye on a possible future in the NASCAR Cup Series and another eye on the here and now, the younger Riggs hopes to make Year Two as a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor one that he’ll look back on one day with great fondness because it served as a catalyst for achieving bigger goals.
“I feel content at the moment,” Layne Riggs said. “There’s a happy medium everywhere. If you run trucks for five or six years, you kind of get to the point where you kind of get stalled out in your career and nobody really wants to give you another opportunity to move up. I feel like I’m just getting started in learning everything I need to know.
“Taking a step from the grassroots level up to the NASCAR ranks with live pit stops and going to all of these big tracks is the biggest, hardest step we’re going to take. I’m still learning right now. If I got an opportunity, I’d have to weigh out my options, but I definitely don’t want to rush myself. I’m happy, but in the end, I do want to get to the Cup Series one day – just when the time is right.”
Cleetus McFarland Brings
New Eyes to ARCA
YouTube Creator Goes Superspeedway Racing
BY KAUY OSTLIEN
The 40-car starting field for the Feb. 15 ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway included a handful of NASCAR outsiders. Among them was 29-year-old Garrett Mitchell, better known by his screen name and character, Cleetus McFarland.
4 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS
But who is Garrett Mitchell, and what made his participation in Daytona Speedweeks so noteworthy?
A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Mitchell did not make his name in racing. Instead, he is better known as Cleetus McFarland, the screen name used on his automotive-themed YouTube channel. With more than 4 million subscribers, the Cleetus McFarland YouTube content creators are doing out-of-the-box concepts and playing up the horsepower and freedom aspects of America. The channel’s unique content has included a race for Ford Crown Victorias, drag-racing content and plane/helicopter-related video.
However, the centerpiece of the content is the Freedom Factory, a short track formerly known as DeSoto Speedway located in Florida. Mitchell purchased the third-mile asphalt oval in 2020 and uses it as a base of operation for his content creation.
The track is not Mitchell’s only connection to racing.
In addition to his amateur drag racing activities, the content creator has driven a handful of race cars throughout the years. Some of the most-viewed videos in his channel’s history revolve around the street-legal NASCAR race truck he refers to as “The Dale Truck.” This name is a reference to the truck’s black-and-white No. 3 GM Goodwrench colors made popular by Dale Earnhardt.
But this is not the only reference to “The Intimidator” in Mitchell’s content. Though he is not the creator of the phrase “Do it for Dale,” it is a phrase for which he is now well known. Mitchell ends each of his Cleetus McFarland YouTube videos with it.
Though he had flirted with different forms of racing, Mitchell had never entered a NASCAR-sanctioned race.
GETTING A FOOT IN THE DOOR
When ARCA released the roster for its pre-season test session at Daytona International Speedway, Mitchell’s name was on it. While this was only a test, it was a milestone in his efforts to compete in a NASCAR-sanctioned event.
At the time, there were no specific details as to Mitchell’s plan after the test. That was until he uploaded a video on Jan. 15 titled, “The Start of my NASCAR Career.” This video clarified how Mitchell ended up testing with an ARCA team and detailed what he hoped to achieve.
Thanks to Mitchell’s dedication to uploading content, the Cleetus McFarland YouTube Channel supplied the most in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at ARCA’s pre-season testing, team meetings and behind-the-scenes action leading up to the Feb. 15 ARCA season opener.
Mitchell landed the test with Rette Jones Racing thanks to former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series champion Greg Biffle, whom he met in 2024.
If the test was successful, Mitchell would be permitted to qualify for the Ride the Dente 200 at Daytona, a major stepping stone for any driver trying to work their way into a NASCAR national series ride.
During the video about his rookie test, Mitchell was tutored by Biffle, who showed the 29-year-old the ropes of driving at Daytona. It even included Biffle taking Micthell around the track in a street car to show him how to hit his marks.
During the test session, Mitchell found his No. 30 machine
sitting as high as fourth fastest in solo runs around the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Nonetheless, the online sensation also showed a knack for speed when practicing in packs as his RJR Ford shot to the top of Daytona’s scoring pylon.
At the end of the video, Mitchell confirmed he had been approved to compete in the ARCA Menards Series opener.
Mitchell did not return to the track until Feb. 13 for ARCA practice and qualifying. In his video, “NASCAR Put Me On Probation, Here’s Why,” he gave an in-depth look at all the prep work that went into making his ARCA Menards Series debut at Daytona.
Despite all his studying and preparation, the No. 30 car started 27th on owner points after qualifying was rained out. However, in the only ARCA practice session of the weekend, Mitchell found himself at the top of the board.
‘RIPPIN’ ROUND DAYTONA’
Mitchell was not the only NASCAR outsider in the Daytona ARCA race. The field also included IMSA and NTT IndyCar Series veteran Katherine Legge and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Hélio Castroneves, who was warming up for his NASCAR Cup Series debut in the Daytona 500.
Alongside these fellow rookies, Mitchell was facing off against a field of ARCA winners, such as Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich and short-track aces like Pinnacle Racing Group’s Brendan “Butterbean” Queen.
Typically, NASCAR is strict about recording devices being permitted in race cars. However, Mitchell talked officials into allowing an in-car camera with a live YouTube feed inside his No. 30 car. This in-car footage provided a new angle for Mitchell’s video that was uploaded about the race.
On race day, Mitchell had a quiet, yet exciting time behind the wheel. He managed to miss the lap 4 “big one” by cutting down pit road. His first accident took place on lap 11 when a spinning Amber Balcaen collected him. Fortunately, a fresh set of tires was enough to get the car back on track.
That was until lap 18 when Balcaen spun in Turn 2, once again collecting the No. 30 and ending Mitchell’s day. Though he had two run-ins with Balcaen, Mitchell stressed in his post-race video that both drivers were taking part in the learning process and that it was just a part of racing.
Mitchells defining moments at Daytona came in his post-race interview with FOX Sports, where he, in the most Cleetus McFarland of ways, claimed that prior to the wreck, he was “Having the best day of my life, rippin’ round Daytona like a bald eagle.”
Mitchell’s time with NASCAR media was not done there, as he joined Jamie Little, Trevor Bayne and Phil Parsons in the FOX broadcast booth after his accident.
For a short time, McFarland was the talk of the NASCAR world, as the race attracted 1.16 million viewers, making it the mostwatched ARCA season opener since 2013.
At press time, the replay of Mitchell’s Daytona in-car camera had more than 700,000 views on YouTube. He was even invited to be a guest on the Dale Jr. Download the following week.
Apparently, Daytona was not the end of Mitchell’s NASCAR driving career as he hoped to run the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway in April.
Busch Builds on Truck Series Legacy
BY KAUY OSTLIEN
Kyle Busch, who will celebrate his 40th birthday on May 2, is one of the most dominant drivers in NASCAR history, particularly in the Craftsman Truck Series where he is at or near the top in multiple statistical categories.
The two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was only 16 years old when he made his Truck Series debut with Roush Racing in 2001. He’s accumulated 176 Truck Series starts since then and continues to cement his legacy even though current rules limit him to only five series starts per season.
Here’s a look at some of Busch’s NASCAR stats through his Feb. 22 Craftsman Truck Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
A PROLIFIC WINNER
The Las Vegas native has enjoyed tremendous success across NASCAR’s three national series, where he’s won a combined 232 races. That’s 32 more than the number of times “The King,” Richard Petty, visited Victory Lane during his storied driving career
Sixty-seven of Busch’s victories have come in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. is second on that list, 15 back, while Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague are next with only 28 wins each.
Another impressive accomplishment is Busch’s streak of winning at least one Truck Series race every season from 2013 to 2025. No other active driver has come close, with the nearest competitors achieving only three consecutive winning seasons.
• Kyle Busch’s latest Truck Series victory came in February at
NATIONAL SERIES STARTS
A record Busch could break in the near future is the total number of NASCAR national series starts. At press time, he was second with 1,259 starts, trailing only Kevin Harvick, who retired with 1,299.
If Busch runs the full Cup Series schedule and makes his planned five Truck Series starts, he will finish the season just shy of Harvick’s mark.
TOP-FIVE RESULTS
Busch is also within striking distance of moving up the list of top-five finishes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. With 119 career top-five results, he currently sits fourth, 39 behind leader Hornaday Jr. who has 158.
Although Busch is unlikely to reach Hornaday’s record in the short term, he could still add to his total. However, passing third-place Matt Crafton, who has 135 top-five finishes and is still active, may take some time.
TOP-10 FINISHES
Busch also has a chance to move up among the roster of top-10 finishers. Currently eighth with 142, he’ll surpass Mike Skinner (144) if he secures at least three top-10 results in his four remaining starts this season.
While claiming the record is unlikely – Crafton holds the top spot with 328 top-10 results – Busch’s continued participation in the series keeps him in the conversation.
PLENTY OF POLES
Another record Busch could chase in the long run is the number of Truck Series pole awards. He currently sits fourth with 23 career poles. Skinner holds the record with 50, a mark that would be difficult for Busch to reach unless he commits to more Truck Series races after retiring from the Cup Series.
Whether it’s adding to his total of national series victories, climbing the list of overall starts or challenging for more Truck Series pole awards, Kyle Busch’s continued presence in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series keeps adding to his already impressive NASCAR legacy.
• Kyle Busch celebrates his first Truck Series win on May 20, 2005, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Atlanta Motor Speedway.
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• Radiator
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• Heater Core
• Freeze Plug
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POOLEBrennan Brennan
TEST YOUR RACING KNOWLEDGE!
This section includes 26 NASCAR trivia questions, divided into three levels of difficulty:
Rookie (6 Questions): Perfect for casual fans or newcomers.
Advanced (8 Questions): A challenge for seasoned NASCAR followers.
Expert (12 Questions): Only true NASCAR historians will ace this section!
ROOKIE QUESTIONS (10 POINTS EACH)
Which track hosts the Daytona 500?
a. Bristol Motor Speedway
b. Daytona International Speedway
c. Charlotte Motor Speedway
d. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
What is the name of the trophy awarded to the NASCAR Cup Series champion?
a. The Harley J. Earl Trophy
b. The Winston Cup
c. The Bill France Cup
d. The NASCAR Cup Series Trophy
Which flag signals the start of a NASCAR race?
a. White
b. Yellow
c. Green
d. Red
What is the term for when a driver follows another car closely to reduce wind resistance?
a. Dragging
b. Annoying
c. Drafting
d. Pushing
Which former NASCAR driver was known as “The Intimidator?”
a. Jeff Gordon
b. Richard Petty
c. Dale Earnhardt
d. Jimmie Johnson
Which manufacturer does NOT currently compete in the NASCAR Cup Series?
a. Chevrolet
b. Toyota
c. Ford
d. Dodge
ADVANCED QUESTIONS (15 POINTS
How many laps is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway?
a. 400
b. 500
c. 600
d. 300
Which driver has the most NASCAR Cup Series championships?
a. Dale Earnhardt
b. Richard Petty
c. Jimmie Johnson
d. All of the above
Which team has won the most Cup Series championships?
a. Joe Gibbs Racing
b. Hendrick Motorsports
c. Stewart-Haas Racing
d. Richard Childress Racing
What is the name of the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series season?
a. Daytona 500
b. Championship Race at Phoenix
c. Coca-Cola 600
d. Southern 500
EACH)
What year did NASCAR first race the “Next Gen” car?
a. 2020
b. 2021
c. 2022
d. 2023
Which NASCAR oval track has the longest lap distance?
a. Daytona International Speedway
b. Talladega Superspeedway
c. Indianapolis Motor Speedway
d. Pocono Raceway
How many points does a NASCAR Cup Series race winner earn?
a. 35
b. 40
c. 45
d. 50
What is the name of the NASCAR playoff system?
a. The Knockout Rounds
b. The Sprint Chase
c. The NASCAR Playoffs
d. The Cup Eliminator
EXPERT QUESTIONS (20
Who won the first NASCAR Cup Series race in 1949?
a. Jim Roper
b. Lee Petty
c. Red Byron
d. Buck Baker
What year did Dale Earnhardt finally win the Daytona 500?
a. 1995
b. 1997
c. 1998
d. 2000
Who holds the record for the most career Cup Series wins?
a. Richard Petty
b. Jeff Gordon
c. David Pearson
d. Darrell Waltrip
What was the sanctioning body’s original name before it became known as NASCAR?
a. Stock Car Racing Association
b. Southern Racing Club
c. National Stock Car Racing Association
d. None of the above
Which track had a “Humpy Bump” named for its promoter?
a. Bristol Motor Speedway
b. Charlotte Motor Speedway
c. Daytona International Speedway
d. Rockingham Speedway
Which track is known as “Too Tough to Tame?”
a. Talladega Superspeedway
b. Bristol Motor Speedway
c. Darlington Raceway
d. Richmond Raceway
POINTS EACH)
What year did Jeff Gordon win his first Cup Series championship?
a. 1992
b. 1993
c. 1994
d. 1995
How many cars started the inaugural Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 1950?
a. 36
b. 40
c. 52
d. 75
Which driver was known as “The Silver Fox?”
a. David Pearson
b. Cale Yarborough
c. Bobby Allison
d. Rusty Wallace
Which team did Dale Earnhardt drive for when he won his first Cup Series championship?
a. Richard Childress Racing
b. Rod Osterlund Racing
c. Hendrick Motorsports
d. Junior Johnson & Associates
Who is the youngest NASCAR Cup Series race winner?
a. Kyle Busch
b. Joey Logano
c. Chase Elliott
d. William Byron
What year did Toyota enter the NASCAR Cup Series?
a. 2003
b. 2005
c. 2007
d. 2009
LEADER BOARD
PICTURE SCRAMBLE
Cut out each square and reconstruct the image.
FIND THE DIFFERENCE
Spot the 7 differences between photo A and B.
ONLY USE IF THE PRIMARY LOGO WILL NOT FIT IN A GIVEN SPACE HORIZONTAL
The Sour Power Hour presented by Toxic Waste® Hazardously Sour Candy® is a video podcast hosted every month by Out of Groove host Eric Estepp and Xfinity Series driver Brennan Poole. Each episode, the two cover the current events of NASCAR, interview fan favorite drivers, and host special interactive segments where fans can have their voices heard.
Available on all major podcast platforms
Meet the Boilin’ Brothers at these Locations
Atlanta Motor Speedway • Feb 22-23
Darlington Raceway • Apr 5-6
Moo, Brew & Que Music Fest • Charlotte, NC Apr 11-13
Merlefest • Wilkesboro, NC April 24-27
Carolina Country Music Fest • Myrtle Beach, SC June 5-8
MLB Speedway Classic • Bristol, TN July 31-Aug 2
Bristol Motor Speedway • Sept 11-13
Field & Stream Music Fest • Winnsboro, SC Oct 3-5
Greenville Country Music Fest • Greenville, SC Oct 18-20
SUDOKU
Fill the grid with numbers 1 to 9 without repeating any numbers within each row, column, and 3x3 square.
INTRODUCING THE TOXIC WASTE BLUE DRUM
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Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama
RELIES ON THE GENEROSITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES
When a family needs to travel for their child’s medical care, RMHC of Alabama is there to ensure they have a safe, comfortable place to rest in between appointments and hospital visits.
The Ronald McDonald House, our most well-known program, is just one block from the Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham.
There, parents and caregivers can rest in a quiet, private guest room. Snacks are always available to take to the hospital, and the RMHCA chef serves nourishing meals at night in the dining room.
RMHC of Alabama is proud to support families facing a variety of diagnoses, from a stay in the NICU to surgery to intensive therapy. Families may stay with us for a handful of nights for follow-up appointments or annual check-ups with a specialist; or they may call our House “home” for months while their child is in the hospital.
McDonald Family Room at UAB Women & Infants Center. There, parents can find respite, wash clothes, grab a snack or meal, relax during a craft class and build their support network with other families.
RMHC of Alabama relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses around the state to power our mission! In 2024, 60 percent of our funding came from individuals like you.
days post check-out.
In fact, that generosity allowed us to open the first Ronald McDonald House Family Life Center in the world. The Family Life Program helps families throughout the continuum of care, from check-in through at least 120
Together, we can care for families with children who are ill or injured. Let’s provide essential services that remove barriers to care, strengthen families and promote healing when children need healthcare!
3 WAYS YOU CAN HELP TODAY
■ Donate today to power the mission.
■ Round-up for RMHC at McDonald’s.
■ Host a WishList drive.
Our hospitality goes even further in the Ronald
Learn more at rmhca.org.
Alaska
ALASKA Alaska Raceway Park
Park faces a unique set of logistical hurdles.
PIONEER PEAK PROVIDES A BREATHTAKING BACKDROP
While drivers in the lower 48 may struggle to locate specific parts, racers in Alaska face even greater difficulties. Finding a race-ready car is particularly challenging, as many drivers must wait for a car to be offered for sale or arrange to have one shipped to Alaska.
These logistical challenges also extend to racing essentials such as tires. As Alaska Raceway Park owner and “Lady Track Boss” Michelle Lackey explains, planning ahead is crucial.
“If the racers want tires, we do a big order in the spring,” Lackey said. “I have them put into a shipping container down in Washington and brought up here on the boat, and that’s what we’ve got.”
FAST FACTS
NICKNAME
A View with a Race Track TRACK OPENED 2016 TRACK TYPE Oval TRACK
LENGTH
Third mile TRACK SURFACE
Asphalt
Alaska Raceway Park has been the state’s premier destination for short-track racing since 2016 when a one-third-mile paved oval was carved fromtheremainsofanoldriverbedintheshadowof Pioneer Peak.
The track is located near Palmer, Alaska, a community of nearly 6,000 people that’s 42 miles northeast of Anchorage along the Glenn Highway.
Far from the traditional roots of short-track racing, Alaska’s only NASCAR-sanctioned track stands as a testament to the industry’s reach and the determination of its racers to compete on a regular basis.
Spectacular View
A 6,398-foot mountain located south of Alaska Raceway Park, Pioneer Peak provides one of the most unique backdrops in American short-track racing. The breathtaking views earned the track its nickname, “A View with a Race Track.”
ARP opened in 1964 as a quarter-mile dragstrip. A quarter-mile dirt oval then operated at the facility from 1980 to 1984, but the NHRA-sanctioned dragstrip remained its primary attraction for decades.
Oval-track racing has long been part of Alaska’s motorsports culture. For many years, North Star Speedway, a quarter-mile paved oval, was the state’s lone NASCAR-sanctioned track. However, local racers found themselves without a home when North Star closed in 2012.
Four years later, Alaska Raceway Park officials debuted a new, one-third-mile asphalt track. Located adjacent to the facility’s dragstrip, the new oval revived short-track racing in the region.
Logistical Challenges
Sitting roughly 1,900 miles from its nearest NASCAR-sanctioned neighbor – Canada’s Edmonton International Raceway – Alaska Raceway
A Tight-Knit Group
While ARP’s asphalt oval may be geographically isolated, this tight-knit racing community fosters a strong connection between the participants and the facility.
Standout names at the track on any given week include racers such as Damian Ackerman, who won five Bomber Stock features a year ago, and Jeremy Copley, a dominant competitor in the Thunder Stocks.
Race fans in the Carolinas should keep an eye on Trent Dillard, Alaska Raceway Park’s defending Late Model champion. Dillard advanced from Bandoleros to Legend Cars and then to Late Models at ARP before relocating to the Carolinas to pursue a career in stock car racing.
Alaska Raceway Park is truly a one-of-a-kind race track. However, when the green flag waves on any given race night, it becomes like any other of the nation’s short tracks – except for the breathtaking view, of course.
SEATING CAPACITY
1,300 spectators and 300 pit area.
FEATURED DIVISIONS
Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, Late Models, Baby Grands, Thunder Stocks, Bomber Stocks, Bandoleros and Legend Cars.
LEGENDS OF THE TRACK
Damian Ackerman, Trent Dillard and Jeremy Copley.
KEY EVENT IN HISTORY
The track’s grand opening in 2016.
WORDS: KAUY OSTLIEN PHOTOGRAPHY: ALASKA RACEWAY PARK
Montana
Mission Valley Super Oval
UNIQUE TRACK DESIGN ENTERTAINS FANS AND RACERS
Mission Valley Super Oval in Polson, Montana, is one of the nation’s most unique short tracks. The paved three-eighths-mile course is a true triangle, somewhat reminiscent of the nowdefunct Nazareth Speedway in Pennsylvania.
The wide frontstretch produces plenty of passing while the tight corners and bowed backstretch challenge even the most veteran competitors.
Back from the Brink
In 2018, Tony and CleAnn Undem spearheaded an effort to save the struggling motorsports facility.
“This track was on the verge of shutting down,” said Tony Undem. “I was racing and didn’t want to lose it. I went to Corey White Sr. and said if we’re going to take this on, I’m going to need some help. Together, we approached Bob Lulow, Guy Stinger and a few others who had been involved in running the track years ago.”
Community members such as Lulow and longtime flagman Guy Stinger have played crucial roles in the track’s continued success.
“We wouldn’t be here without the local support,” Undem emphasized.
In addition, the entire Undem family is involved – sons, daughter-in-law, sisters, brothers in law, nephews, nieces and granddaughters – all working alongside a dedicated group of friends to keep the track thriving.
The Season Headliner
The track’s marquee event is the Montana 200. Previously run at Montana Raceway Park, the event found a new home when that track closed in 2019. Mission Valley officials stepped up to preserve the storied tradition – and the event name.
Drivers from across the country will descend upon the track to test their skills against its
unique layout during the 34th running of the Montana 200 on July 11-12.
With help from Travis and Amanda Sharpe of Racing Dynamics, the track also hosts the fiverace Montana Big 5 Super Late Series, featuring drivers from across the country and Canada.
Mission Valley also showcases other racing series, including Hobby Stocks. New this year is a partnership between the Big 5 Series and he SRL Series out of California.
The track’s 2025 schedule runs from May 17 to Sept. 13. It’s available by visiting missionvalleysuperoval.com.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Upgraded Amenities
Since taking over, the Undem family has made significant improvements to the facility, including upgraded paving in the pits, improved LED lighting, grandstands, an expanded concession stand and renovated restrooms. The addition of a new beer booth and two VIP decks – each seating up to 62 people – has enhanced the spectator experience. A third VIP deck was to be added this spring. While visiting the concession stand, we recommend the track’s signature Charburger, which is seasoned to perfection. It’s a must-try for any visitor.
Big Name, New Series
One of the biggest names to race at Mission Valley is NWSCRA Hall of Famer Cory Wolf. A legend in Montana racing, Wolf won the Montana 200 in 1992 and still competes on a part-time basis, often making appearances at Mission Valley Super Oval.
Beyond promoting the track, Tony Undem is launching a new racing series – the USA Late Model Series. With 20 teams preregistered, this series will, of course, include the Mission Valley Super Oval on its schedule.
FAST FACTS
NICKNAME None TRACK OPENED 1996 TRACK TYPE Triangular TRACK LENGTH
Three-eighths mile TRACK SURFACE
Asphalt SEATING CAPACITY
Approximately 3,500
FEATURED DIVISIONS
Hobby Stocks, Legend Cars, Mod 4s, Hornets and MT Big 5 Super Late Models. LEGENDS OF THE TRACK Cory Wolf KEY EVENT IN HISTORY
The transition of the Montana 200 to Mission Valley Super Oval after Montana Raceway Park closed in 2019.
WORDS: CODY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY: MISSION VALLEY SUPER OVAL
Wyoming Sweetwater Speedway
‘THE HIGHEST BANKED TRACK WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI’
WYOMING
Sweetwater Speedway, a high-banked, threeeighths-mile dirt oval, is part of the Sweetwater Events Complex in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Known as “Southwest Wyoming’s Home of Horsepower,” this high-banked dirt track has thrilled fans and challenged competitors since the 1970s. Located near the borders of Idaho, Utah and Colorado, Sweetwater Speedway is a bucket-list destination for race fans in the western United States.
High Banks & High Speeds
The nation’s western states showcase a strong lineup of popular short tracks, and many racers single out Sweetwater Speedway as the “highest banked track west of the Mississippi.”
As race fans know, high banks generate high speeds. In recent years, Sweetwater Speedway has not only delivered lightning-fast racing but has also produced edge-of-your-seat action, captivating both seasoned fans and first-time spectators.
A Packed Dance Card
While the track no longer hosts weekly racing, fans and competitors still turn out for two actionpacked nights of racing each month. On most nights, the schedule includes the IMCA Sport Compact, Sport Mod and Modified divisions.
The track also hosts a variety of special events throughout the racing season, featuring IMCA Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, High Plains Dirt Car Late Models and ASCS Sprint Cars.
Like many tracks across the country, Sweetwater Speedway is a family affair for both competitors and spectators. Among the regular
racers are Justen Yeager and his sons, Bryson and Braxton, who are frequently heard over the PA system as they battle it out on the track.
Community Connections
Even though Sweetwater Speedway has become a fixture on the western United States dirttrack scene, it remains deeply rooted in the local community, which has an estimated population of 23,000.
A prime example is the presence of local food vendors at the speedway, giving small businesses an opportunity to showcase their offerings. Additionally, the track actively works to engage the community through giveaways and special events, including a drive-in movie night on a weekend when the oval is idle.
For more than a decade, a dedicated group of volunteers has helped operate the track. Track manager and promoter Kara Beech expressed her gratitude for their dedication.
“I’ve been really lucky that I have a good group of volunteers that love racing as much as I do and that love their community as much as I do,” she said. “I really want our track to be the place for people to go.”
This commitment to both racing and the community highlights Sweetwater’s understanding that short-track racing is just as much about the people as it is about the competition.
A Dozen Dates
The track’s 2025 schedule boasts 12 dates between May 23 and Sept. 6. Highlights include the June 6-7 Sprint Car Spectacular, anchored by the Northern Plains Region of the American Sprint Car Series, and the Aug 29-30 Labor Day Sport Compact Special.
Complete schedule details are available at sweetwaterspeedway.com.
NICKNAME Southwest Wyoming’s Home of Horsepower TRACK OPENED 1970s
TRACK TYPE Oval TRACK LENGTH
Three-eighths mile
TRACK SURFACE Dirt
SEATING CAPACITY
2,500
FEATURED DIVISIONS
Late Models, Dwarf Cars, Hobby Stocks, Modifieds, Sport Compacts, Sport Mods, Sprint Cars and Stock Cars. LEGENDS OF THE TRACK Danny Concelman, Justen Yeager and Ricky Alvarado.
KEY EVENT IN HISTORY
Sammy Swindell’s track-record lap in a Winged Sprint Car.
50STATESOFSHORTTRACKS
Jamestown Speedway FAST FACTS North Dakota
NORTH DAKOTA
Jamestown Speedway is located on the Stutsman County Fairgrounds in Jamestown, North Dakota. The racy bullring stands out among other quarter-mile dirt ovals, as its high-banked turns—measuring 21 degrees—produce an actionpacked show for fans who flock to this eastern North Dakota community, which is also home to the North American Bison Discover Center.
The track, in its current iteration, opened in 1963 and is known as the “Home of the Stock Car Stampede,” a crown jewel event that draws North Dakota’s top local racers, all eager to conquer the beast that is Jamestown Speedway.
“We’re all about tradition,” said track representative Tim Baldwin, who took over promotional duties with his wife, Allison, in 2017. It’s their dedication to tradition and commitment to the weekly program that keep fans and competitors coming back.
A Diverse Lineup
The IMCA Dirt Modifieds take center stage on most nights during a weekly Saturday night racing that runs from May through the end of August.
Other divisions that visit the track include the WISSOTA Street Stocks, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, INEX Legend Cars, Central Dakota Pure Stocks, and Junior Slingshots. The track also participates in the annual Dakota Classic Modified Tour, a grueling six-race series held over six days across North Dakota.
Notable drivers who have competed at Jamestown Speedway include Jack McDonald, Johnny C., and Don Gumke, the latter of whom is the namesake of the annual Don Gumke Memorial racing event.
‘It’s More of a Festival’ Jamestown Speedway’s marquee event is the Stock Car Stampede. Created in 1972 by Jim Corcoran, this event attracts competitors nationwide. In fact, drivers from the Upper Midwest
compete in the race, and participation continues to grow each year.
Regarding the Stampede, Tim Baldwin said, “It’s more of a festival than a race.”
Fans start arriving early in the third week of September to take part in the festivities. The excitement begins Thursday night with the Drivers’ Charity Auction, followed by preliminary races on Friday night. The Stampede champions are crowned during the main events on Saturday night.
Beyond the racing action, there are numerous family activities. The best chili cooks in the area compete in an annual chili cook-off, while other entertainment options include bean-bag tournaments, a live band, and campfire gatherings.
Many Familiar Faces
Fans visiting the track are likely to see many familiar, welcoming faces. Longevity is key at Jamestown, with several staff and crew members having been there for decades.
Flag-stand worker Brian Smith and previous promoter Joanne Dieterle have been with the speedway since the early 1980s while Denny Qual was involved for 44 years. Keith Veil, a longtime track supporter, eventually became one of the track’s most dedicated volunteers. He is credited with building the current Boom Truck which helps maintain the racing surface by watering it across the entire track at once.
No Room for Dessert
Fan favorites among the many items on the concession stand menus are Chicken O’s (a hollowed-out chicken patty shaped like a tire), premium pizza pockets shipped on dry ice from Atlanta, and deep-fried chicken gizzards—a local delicacy.
Ticket information and the track’s complete 2025 schedule are available at jamestownspeedway.com.
NICKNAME
Home of the Stock Car Stampede
TRACK OPENED
1963
TRACK TYPE
High-banked oval
TRACK
LENGTH Quarter mile
TRACK SURFACE
Clay
SEATING CAPACITY 1,800
FEATURED DIVISIONS
Dakota Classic IMCA Modified Tour and WISSOTA Street Stock Tour.
LEGENDS OF THE TRACK
Jack McDonald, Don Gumke and Johnny C. KEY EVENT IN HISTORY
The 54th annual Jamestown Stock Car Stampede is Sept. 19-20.
Huset’s Speedway
MAJOR EVENTS ATTRACT
RACE FANS FROM ACROSS THE NATION
SOUTH DAKOTA
Huset’s Speedway, a three-eighths-mile dirt track located in Brandon, South Dakota, has been a staple of short-track racing since its opening in 1954. Originally carved into a hillside, the track – formerly known as Badlands Motor Speedway – is now a destination facility for major Sprint Car and Late Model events.
The speedway’s weekly schedule features 410 Sprint Cars, RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars and Late Model Street Stocks, and the versatile motorsports venue has also hosted monster trucks, tractor pulls and concert events.
Rocky Start, Triumphant Finish
The track was founded by farmer and businessman Til Huset, who hosted its first race in 1954. However, that same year, another track near Sioux Falls opened with lights for night racing, quickly surpassing Huset’s in popularity. As a result, Huset’s shut down for two years.
Determined to revive the track, a group of racers, led by Fred Buckmiller, Clarence Rubin and Bill Leesch, sold bonds to purchase the Huset’s facility. Their vision was to bring racing back and make the track a premier destination. By August 1958, racing returned, and within a year, Huset’s was the area’s dominant track.
From 1959 to 1987, the Sioux Falls Stock Car Association owned and operated the facility, further cementing its legacy.
A Track with Character
Huset’s Speedway is often compared to Bristol Motor Speedway due to its bowl-shaped design. Built into a hillside, the track offers an intense, up-close experience for fans and drivers alike.
“You feel like you are kind of sitting on top of the cars when you’re at the track,” said track
FAST FACTS South Dakota
general manager Doug Johnson. “It’s a small quarter-mile with concrete walls all the way around it. I’ve heard the description where it’s kind of like putting fighter jets inside of a hockey rink.”
The high-banked oval and unforgiving concrete walls have challenged even the best drivers over the years. The infield pits allow fans to watch crews make real-time adjustments, further enhancing the spectator experience. With seating for 9,000, 17 VIP suites and two two-level suite complexes at Turns 1 and 4, Huset’s delivers an electric atmosphere on race nights.
Exciting Plans for the Future
Huset’s Speedway is constantly evolving, with several upgrades on the horizon. Planned improvements include expanded camping areas, renovations to the back pit area and the construction of an additional suite tower.
“The demand for our suites is tremendous year after year, and we have a waiting list right now,” said Johnson. “So that’s probably the next big improvement.”
The track owner has also acquired land on the west side of the property, across the highway, which presents challenges for parking and camping. However, creative solutions are in the works to enhance both profitability and the fan experience.
Go-karting has seen a rise in popularity in the region, making it a potential addition to the facility. However, camping remains one of the top priorities for improvement.
“We sell out of camping for all of our big events. Demand for camping is huge, both here and at Jackson,” said Johnson. “People want to come to the big events. They want to stay here. They don’t want to have to travel. Just being on the property is huge for race fans.”
NICKNAME None TRACK OPENED 1954 TRACK TYPE Oval TRACK LENGTH
Threeeighths mile TRACK SURFACE Dirt
SEATING CAPACITY
9,000 FEATURED DIVISIONS
410 Sprint Cars, RaceSaver 305 Sprint Cars and Late Model Street Stocks. LEGENDS OF THE TRACK Terry McCarl, Marty Barber and Mark Dobmeier. KEY EVENT IN HISTORY
SUN | MAY 4 | 3:30 PM | FS1 KANSAS SUN | MAY 11 | 3 PM | FS1 NORTH WILKESBORO- ALL-STAR RACE SUN | MAY 18 | 8 PM | FS1 CHARLOTTE- COCA-COLA 600
50STATESOFSHORTTRACKS
Diamond Mountain Speedway
DIRT TRACK OFFERS UNMATCHED EXCITEMENT AND STUNNING VIEWS
UTAH
Nestled in scenic Uintah County, Utah, Diamond Mountain Speedway is a dirt track like no other. Built in 2004, the one-third-mile, D-shaped oval is part of the Buckskin Hills Recreational Complex. Known for its smooth, yet slick surface, the track has a reputation for delivering intense competition with no easy victories.
The racing at Diamond Mountain Speedway is expected to be even better this season, thanks to a resurfacing project that was slated to be completed prior to the May 9 opener.
Racing to the Summit
Located near Vernal, Utah, Diamond Mountain Speedway sits at an elevation of approximately 6,200 feet, offering a unique race-day atmosphere. Fans and racers alike are met with unmatched excitement and stunning mountain views.
Spectators can enjoy the action from multiple vantage points. The grandstands provide a clas sic race-day experience, while trackside tailgat ing puts fans right next to the action. For those looking for a more panoramic view, the trackoverlook tailgating area offers a unique way to take in the competition.
Beyond the racing action, Diamond Mountain Speedway provides unique fan engagement activities during intermission. One of the high lights for children is the Candy Dash, where a trail of candy is placed across the track, and chil dren race to gather as much as they can carry.
Adults also get in on the fun with the Beer Run. Beer cans are scattered across the track, and one lucky fan who finds the can marked with an “X” on the bottom wins $50 in cash.
Utah FAST FACTS
Sweet Diamond Series
New this season, Diamond Mountain Speedway has partnered with Sweetwater Speedway in Rock Springs, Wyoming, to launch the Sweet Diamond Series. It will bring together multiple divisions, including Modifieds, Northern Sport Modifieds and Sport Compacts.
The series will span two race weekends at each track, leading up to the championship finale on Sept. 19. That event will take place at Diamond Mountain Speedway, where the series champion will be crowned.
Racing for a Cause
Since becoming the promoter of Diamond Mountain Speedway in 2022, Sarah Gray has made community awareness a major focus. Each race weekend is dedicated to supporting a different cause, such as Suicide Prevention, End Bullying, Autism Awareness, Salute Heroes and Cancer Awareness.
One of the most impactful events in 2024 was the N.O.V.A. Program End Bullying Night. The N.O.V.A. Program, which began in 2003, educates students on the dangers of illegal drugs, violence and negative media exposure. It also emphasizes self-respect, anger management and maintaining a positive outlook.
The program runs for 13 to 15 weeks, and information is available at novaprinciples.com.
During last year’s N.O.V.A. event, students who
NICKNAME
Utah’s Diamond Mountain TRACK OPENED 2004 TRACK TYPE Semi-banked oval TRACK LENGTH
One-third mile TRACK SURFACE Clay
SEATING CAPACITY 500 grandstands, overlook tailgating and track-level tailgating.
FEATURED DIVISIONS IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Northern SportMods, IMCA Sport Compacts, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Mod Lites, Dwarf Cars and more.
LEGENDS OF THE TRACK
Mickey Stubbings (82 years old), the Yeager Boys – Braxton and Bryson.
KEY EVENT IN HISTORY
Introduction of the Sweet Diamond Series.
WORDS: ALLEN WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY: DIAMOND MOUNTAIN SPEEDWAY
COOL STUFF FOR
DOUBLE THE SOUR, DOUBLE THE FUN: Slime Licker Double Play
WHAT’S BETTER THAN ONE SOUR SLIME FROM THE Slime Licker brand? TWO SLIMES from the Slime Licker brand! Introducing the Slime Licker Double Play – a two-sided candy ooze for the most indecisive sour candy lovers. No need to choose between Strawberry or Blue Razz, you can have both. The Slime Licker Double Play comes off the back of the incredible successful Slime Licker, which went viral on TikTok and led to increased demand across the country. This two-sided sour creation provides consumers with the same delicious flavors they love in a new ooze consistency.
Opti-Coat
Opti-Coat is the leading brand specializing in advanced ceramic coatings and car care products, designed to protect and enhance vehicle surfaces.
Their professionalgrade coatings provide superior resistance to environmental contaminants, UV damage, and chemical etching while delivering a long-lasting glossy finish. Opti-Coat’s flagship products include Opti-Coat Pro, a permanent ceramic coating, and Opti-Coat Pro Plus, which offers additional shine and durability.
Opti-Coat also offers DIY solutions like Optimum Gloss-Coat and a full spectrum of detailing and maintenance products. Opti-Coat products are engineered to improve the longevity and appearance of vehicles while reducing maintenance efforts.
Widely trusted by detailers and car enthusiasts, Opti-Coat stands out for its innovation, quality, and commitment to excellence in automotive protection.
THE PERFECT VEHICLE HAULER: Aluma’s 7800 Tandem Axle Trailer
THE ALUMA 7800 TANDEM AXLE TRAILER IS an excellent choice for a wide range of hauling applications. The trailer features two 3500-pound rubber torsion axles, electric brakes, 14-inch wheels, removable fenders, 8.5-inch retaining rails, two 5-foot aluminum ramps that
store underneath and LED lighting. The 7800 Tandem Axle Trailer also comes standard with a tongue handle, a receptacle holder and Aluma’s 5-year warranty!
Aluma offers the most complete aluminum utility and recreational trailer line available,
including utility trailers, ATV trailers, car haulers, motorcycle and snowmobile trailers and more. Aluma trailers are built in the USA and sold through a nationwide network of dealers.
LEARN MORE AT WWW.ALUMAKLM.COM
RACE FANS
Leaking Coolant System?
K-Seal is a multi-purpose, one step, permanent coolant leak repair with more than 10 million bottles sold worldwide to date. It permanently seals leaks in the head gasket, block, radiator, heater core, freeze plug and water-pump casing.
Trusted by professional mechan ics, technicians and motorists alike, K-Seal is suitable for use with all water-cooled engines, including cars, motorcycles, commercial ve hicles and heavy machinery.
No need to drain or flush the sys tem or worry about what type of an tifreeze is in the cooling system; just shake, pour and get back on the road!
LEARN MORE AT KSEAL.COM
Come Ride with Lectric eBike
Escape the ordinary with the Lectric XPeak. It’s an all-terrain eBike equipped to take you off-road and encourage you into the unknown. This ride has been tested to the most aggressive safety standard for mountain eBikes (eMTB) - meaning that it’s durable and well-able to take on even the
most rugged of terrains. Explore beyond your neighborhood with 26” fat tires, a 1310W peak motor, and a trail-ready RST Renegade suspension front fork to smooth out the ride ahead. lectricebikes.com
SHOP LECTRICEBIKES.COM
Joe’s Hand Cleaner CONVENIENCE & PERFORMANCE
JOE’S HAND & SURFACE
wipes are a multi-use, double-sided wipe that is built for convenience and ultimate performance. The abrasive side cuts through the toughest soils, grime and grease, while the smooth side allows for wiping the most delicate surfaces. They are fortified with new generation cleaning agents and unmatched skin conditioners. The wipes are great for cleaning hands, tools, workbenches and household items like athletic shoes. With a great cherry scent, these wipes can also clean up smelly messes leaving behind a nice pleasant smell. These wipes are another fine product in the family of Joe’s Hand Cleaners, which has been manufactured and distributed in the heartland of America for more than 75 years.
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN
HIGH PERFORMANCE
ON THE RACE TRACK, AND IN YOUR HOME
State Water Heaters is excited to partner with Jeb Burton on the race track and the whole Burton family on their outdoor TV show Crossroads with the Burtons. Just like Jeb Burton knows the value of high performing equipment on the track, we know the importance of high performing equipment in your home. Our ProLine® water heaters are designed to provide tough, commercialgrade performance that your family can rely on.
