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The Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing season returned to competition Saturday, April 18th, at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. Kasey Kahne Racing’s NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team arrived at the reconfigured 3/8‑mile “Diamond of Dirt Tracks” eager to get the car back in motion after a three‑week regroup, with progress to prove. Teams of each of the 43 cars taking part in the ninth race of the season set sights on the win and the The Diamond Classic’s $12,000 payday. No. 9 driver, Daison Pursley, showed early speed, posting a 13.275-second lap in Hot Laps, fourth‑quickest in practic, and running a 13.628-second qualifying lap for fifth in his group. Pursley started P2 in the first Heat Race of the night and jumped to the lead during the first lap, coming out of turn 4 and down the front stretch to the flagstand. Pursley kept the lead throughout the 8-lap race. The win marked Pursley’s first Heat Race victory of the 2026 season and punched his ticket to the Dash. In the Dash, the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 slipped from third to fourth, lining the team up to start outside the second row of the A-Main. Fireworks and pyrotechnics signaled the start of the 30-lap Diamond Classic. Pursley raced into third position for the first six laps. After an early caution, Pursley chose his position back by way of the choose cone and was challenged into turn one by Sye Lynch (No. 42), ultimately being shuffled into fourth by the No. 42 and No. 13 of Tanner Holmes. The track’s renovation brought the track banking all the way to the wall, producing even more high‑banked, door‑to‑door racing. Pursley kept heavy pressure on P3 of Holmes, finishing less than a car length behind the No. 13 and just outside of the podium. Kerry Maddsen (No.55) started on the pole and dominated, leading every lap to claim his first High Limit Racing victory. Pursley’s fourth-place finish left crew chief Jarrett Martin encouraged; he noted the team learned every time they were on the track and made the right adjustments from the Dash to the Diamond Classic. Weather threatened nearby Lakeside Speedway in Kansas on Friday, forcing the cancellation of that program due to tornado warnings. That event will not be made up at this time. The next High Limit Racing event is Tuesday, April 21st, at Eagle Raceway in Eagle, Nebraska, and will be broadcast nationally on FS1. Start / Finish: 4 / 4 Points Standing / Total: 8th / 456 pts. (-137) Next Race: Tuesday, April 21, Eagle Raceway, Eagle, NE How to Watch or Listen: 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1 NAPA: @NAPARacing Daison Pursley: @DaisonPursley Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt The post Pursley, NAPA No. 9 Team Score Top-Five Result in Missouri appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Chase Elliott qualified 13th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The 30-year-old driver earned points in each of the first two stages, finishing sixth and fourth, respectively. While visiting pit road ahead of the final stage, Elliott got blocked in his stall and lost several positions. He made his way back inside the top 10, ultimately earning an eighth-place finish. It was his 14th top-10 finish at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Elliott leaves Kansas sixth in the Cup Series points standings, 152 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 13th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The 30-year-old’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet showed speed from the drop of the green flag. He was up to 11th by lap 21, where he remained until pit stops got underway on lap 33. Elliott stayed out until crew chief Alan Gustafson called him to pit road on lap 39 for four tires and fuel. He worked his way up to 10th by lap 47 and used his slightly fresher tires in the closing laps of stage one to advance to sixth before the green-and-white checkered flag waved on lap 80. During the stage break, Elliott reported that he “hurt the right rear a little worse.” He brought his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. A fast pit stop gained Elliott multiple positions, making him third to choose for the restart. He opted for the outside of row two to start the second stage on lap 89. Elliott improved to second initially before dropping to fourth on lap 97. He relayed to his team that his Chevrolet was “consistently just a little more snug.” Shortly after, another round of green-flag pit stops got underway. Elliott visited pit road on lap 121 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He returned to the track in 14th and was running in second once the field completed the pit cycle on lap 128. Elliott continued to run inside the top five, ending the second stage in fourth place on lap 165. Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott brought the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He unfortunately got blocked in when trying to exit his pit stall, which cost him several positions. The 2020 Cup Series champion was 12th to choose for the restart, opting for the inside of row six. He settled into 12th early in the final stage before fading to 14th on lap 186. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet got stronger as the run went on. Elliott improved to 11th on lap 190, where he remained until teams started visiting pit road on lap 214. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and fuel on lap 220. Elliott found himself back inside the top 10 on lap 245 and was running in ninth when the caution flag waved with just two laps to go. Varying pit strategies came into play, with some teams opting for two tires while others took four. The No. 9 team put right-side tires on the NAPA Chevrolet, and Elliott lined up on the inside of row four for the overtime restart. He battled hard to try to stay ahead of the cars on four fresh tires, ultimately earning an eighth-place finish. Start / Finish: 13 / 8 Points Standing / Total: 6th / 305 pts. (-152) Next Race: Sunday, April 26, Talladega Superspeedway How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM or MRN NAPA: @NAPARacing Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team The post Elliott Earns Top-10 Finish at Kansas Speedway appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team delivered a standout performance Sunday at the NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, racing to the final round of the milestone 1,000th NHRA Funny Car event before a narrow loss to Matt Hagan. After qualifying No. 2, Capps ran a series of passes in the 3.80-second range, including low E.T. of the event, on the way to his 159th career final round. With the runner-up finish, Capps is now tied for the Funny Car points lead with Hagan following race three of the 20-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Funny Car’s first qualifying session on Friday was a challenging one for Capps and his fellow competitors, but with Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli turning the knobs, he charged to a 4.007-second pass at 314.17 mph in the second session. That was the third-quickest performance of the round, rewarding Capps with one championship bonus point and the provisional No. 3 position. By reaching the semifinals at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, which he ultimately won, Capps earned a spot in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Capps left the line first against Paul Lee, but he started to lose traction and backed off the throttle. He then rebounded to a 3.919 E.T. at 330.88 mph in the final session to grab two more bonus points and climb up to the No. 2 position in the final qualifying order. In the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Capps left the starting line ahead of young gun Dylan Winefsky, and though he lost traction, pedaled, dropped cylinders, and shut off early, he crossed the finish line first with a 4.977 E.T. Capps came back stronger in the quarterfinals, where he fired off low E.T. of the round, a 3.884-second pass at 332.34 mph, to defeat Alexis DeJoria. Capps and Antonelli lowered the boom yet again in the semifinals with a 3.863 E.T. at 330.31 mph – low E.T. of the event – to hold off rookie Jordan Vandergriff and his 3.889 E.T. Following a quick turnaround to race under the lights in the 1,000th NHRA Funny Car final round, Capps lined up next to fellow multi-time world champion Matt Hagan for the 85th time in eliminations. The NAPA Auto Care machine moved off the starting line first, but Hagan pulled ahead at the finish line, with Capps recording a 3.893 E.T. at 334.32 mph to Hagan’s winning 3.876 E.T. “You really couldn’t ask for a better final in a lot of different ways,” Capps said. “It was really mano a mano with both teams – ‘Stretch’ (Mike Knudsen, Hagan’s crew chief) and Guido and then Matt and me. I get up for racing Matt. He was a teammate of mine for a long time and I know how good he is. To me, that’s like a ‘Snake’ and ‘Jungle Jim’ race back in the day. You’ve got a great car, you get up there and you throw down, then you add the fact that it’s Pomona on a late Sunday night under the lights and the 1,000th win in Funny Car is on the line. There’s so many cool things about it. I’m bummed it didn’t go our way, but at the same time, we have a good hot rod, and we moved up in points. I’m just so proud of Guido and the guys.” Capps will look to solidify the points lead at the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule, the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, April 24-26, at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. Start / Finish: No. 2 / def. in final round Points Standing / Total: No. 1 / 251 pts. (tied) Next Race: April 24-26, NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Concord, NC How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing Ron Capps: @RonCapps28 Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps The post Capps Finishes Runner-Up in Historic 1,000th NHRA Funny Car Race appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Chase Elliott qualified 18th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Elliott finished the first stage in 16th and followed that up with a 13th-place finish in stage two. In the final stage, the 30-year-old driver avoided damage after a late-race spin and ultimately finished 22nd. Elliott leaves Bristol fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 122 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 18th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 30-year-old gained ground on the initial start of the race but got stuck in the top lane before clearing down into the 21st position on lap eight. Elliott was running in that same spot when the first caution of the race came out on lap 62. The team ultimately decided not to pit in order to gain track position. With everyone ahead of him pitting, Elliott led the field back to green on lap 71. He held strong inside the top five until slipping to sixth on lap 106. As the run went on, Elliott fought hard for position before fading outside the top 10, ending the first stage in 16th place. Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported that he “overbuilt the right rear and was hanging on from there.” Crew chief Alan Gustafson called him to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. Elliott started stage two in 14th on lap 137 and improved to 13th before the yellow flag was displayed for an incident on lap 144. Staying out, Elliott opted for the inside of row six for the lap-152 restart. He continued to run inside the top 15 and was scored in 13th when the race was slowed for a caution on lap 160. Elliott relayed that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was “borderline a little snug, especially on the bottom.” The team opted not to pit, along with a majority of the field, and Elliott restarted 13th on lap 169. The 2020 Cup Series champion worked his way to 11th on lap 188 before ending the second stage in 13th on lap 250. Elliott brought his No. 9 Chevy to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment to try to improve the handling. A fast pit stop put Elliott in 11th for the choose. He opted to start the final stage from the outside of row six. He continued to run inside the top 12 until slipping to 13th on lap 271. Elliott reported a loose handling condition during the run. When a caution came out on lap 312, he was scored in 19th. The team reversed the air-pressure adjustment during the pit stop for four tires and fuel. Elliott restarted 17th on lap 321 and was running in the same position when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 381. He reported the handling was “in a better place.” Elliott visited pit road for four tires, fuel and a slight air-pressure adjustment under the caution. He was 15th to choose his lane, deciding on the outside. Elliott gained positions on the restart, advancing as high as 12th. He was running in 14th when the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy got loose on lap 421, but Elliott was able to save it. Over the course of the run, Elliott faded to 18th and went a lap down on lap 447. He did manage to gain a position, but then got loose and spun on lap 477, bringing out the caution. Elliott was able to avoid damage in the spin. He brought the No. 9 Chevy to pit road for four tires and fuel. He restarted 22nd and was up to 21st when another incident slowed the race with fewer than five laps to go, sending the race into overtime. Elliott tried to gain ground in the closing laps before ultimately finishing the race in 22nd. Elliott is now fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 122 markers behind the leader. Start / Finish: 18 / 22 Points Standing / Total: 5th / 264 pts. (-122) Next Race: Sunday, April 19, Kansas Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM or MRN NAPA: @NAPARacing Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team The post Elliott Places 22nd after Tough Day at Bristol appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Maddi Gordon, the driver of the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster, continued gaining positive momentum in her rookie season at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals today in Pomona, Calif. The talented Ron Capps Motorsports standout recorded a new career-best speed and elapsed time attempting to defeat Justin Ashley in the opening round of NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competition. Although Gordon didn’t get the win light, it was a milestone event in front of a hometown crowd for the California native. In addition to recording new personal bests and winning the first round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Gordon, the 100th woman in NHRA history to win a national event, had the honor of hosting NHRA Drag Racing legend Shirley Shahan, who captured victory No. 1 for women. “I met Shirley at the Winternationals last year and she’s such a wonderful lady,” said Gordon. “I’ve been reading her book and learning more about her. It’s funny because she seems like this sweet lady who would be baking cookies for her grandkids but in reality, she’s bad to the bone! It was really cool to have her out here. She’s like drag racing royalty so the fact that she was hanging out with us, wearing green, was a big honor.” While Gordon lost traction and had to shut off early in the first Friday session, the Carlyle team quickly found their groove and came back with a stellar pass of 3.819 seconds at 326.56 mph. On Saturday, Gordon pulled double duty in qualifying, competing in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, wherein the semifinalists from the previous race get a chance at redemption. In the first round of competition for the race-within-a-race, Gordon got the starting line advantage over former world champion Shawn Langdon. She held on to that lead, crossing the finish line in 3.831 seconds at 317.34 mph. In the process, Gordon earned one bonus point for making the third-quickest pass of the session. “We’re two to one against Shawn Langdon now,” remarked Gordon. “That’s really exciting. He’s mentored me a lot, so it’s a big deal to run against him. He’s one of the best out there. That was really cool.” In her first Mission #2Fast2Tasty final, which also served as the last qualifying opportunity for drivers, Gordon faced Doug Kalitta. As the two rolled up to the starting line, a real-time fan poll showed that approximately 75% of fans expected Gordon to defeat the Top Fuel veteran. The pair put on a show as they both made their quickest passes of the weekend, but ultimately, Kalitta turned on the win light. Gordon’s 3.798 at 327.98 landed her in the No. 8 spot on the competition ladder. After morning showers delayed the start of eliminations Sunday, Gordon and Ashley were the first pair on the track. In the Top Fuel Marquee Matchup, Ashley got the starting line advantage, and while Gordon made a blistering pass of 3.744 at 334.15, it was not enough for Ashley’s 3.714 at 332.43. “We all hate to lose,” said Gordon. “But Rob (Flynn, crew chief) said we can’t hang our heads about how we did today. I had my career-best E.T. and mile per hour, but not my career-best reaction time. As a driver, that’s what I look at because that’s what I want to provide for the team. It was really cool going down the track after all the rain. Rob and Troy (Fasching, crew chief) got it right down Broadway. We made our best run yet in conditions we’ve never had. It shows just how good this team is and how well we can adapt to different conditions. Losing sucks, but running a career-best mile per hour and E.T. definitely does NOT suck!” The weekend ended on a high note for Gordon and her family when her father, Doug Gordon, raced to victory in the Top Alcohol Funny Car category. Gordon will continue her Rookie of the Year campaign in two weeks when the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series travels to Charlotte for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Raceway. Start / Finish: No. 8 / def. in first round Points Standing / Total: No. 6 / 186 pts. (-70) Next Race: April 24-26, NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Concord, NC How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing Maddi Gordon: @MaddiGordon_TF Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps The post Gordon Clocks Career-Best Run at NHRA Winternational appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Daniel Hemric came from deep in the field and overcame a late tire rub to rally and finish 12th at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night. The driver of the No. 19 Arnott Suspension Products Chevrolet Silverado RST clawed back from 23rd position after an unscheduled pit stop to slice his way to 12th position. The effort netted Hemric two positions in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series standings and closed the gap to the provisional Chase cut line. Hemric took the green flag from 23rd under clear evening skies in “Thunder Valley.” After gaining a pair of positions in the first 15 laps, Hemric reported his Arnott Suspension Products Chevrolet was “free, but not bad.” He briefly climbed to 19th on the lap-23 restart but was trapped on the outside groove and ultimately closed out Stage 1 in 22nd on lap 65. Crew chief Kevin Bellicourt armed Hemric with four tires, fuel, and an air pressure change during the first stage caution as the No. 19 subsequently restarted 22nd on lap 79. He instantly grabbed five positions on the restart and held that spot until a caution on lap 117, 13 circuits shy of the second stage break. Hemric pitted with the majority of the field and was officially scored 21st at the end of Stage 2 following a brief, three-lap run. Hemric quickly cracked the top-15 by lap 155 to start the final segment but sustained minor damage to the left side bodywork on lap 156 when the No. 13 spun beside him and triggered a tire rub. The team’s concern for the left rear tire was great enough to bring Hemric to pit road under a caution on lap 168 to pit for left side tires and clearance the fender. He restarted 23rd with cooler tires and took full advantage over the final 80 laps. He rejoined the top-15 by lap 202 and capitalized on the final 27-lap run of the evening to advance to 12th at the checkered flag. “That was a hard night’s work to finish 12th,” Hemric said. “We had made some progress and started getting some track position when the No. 13 spun and got into us. There was quite a bit of smoke inside the truck from the left rear, so felt like we ultimately made the right decision to pit. We started off a little free tonight, and Kevin [Bellicourt] and the guys kept working on it. Just glad we made a little something out of it with our Arnott Chevrolet by the end of the night and gain a few points.” Start / Finish: 23 / 12 Points Standing / Total: 16th / 116 pts. (-92) Next Race: Friday, May 1, Texas Motor Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM NAPA: @NAPARacing Daniel Hemric: @DanielHemric Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Hemric Rallies Late to Climb to 12th at Bristol appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Christian Eckes vaulted himself back into championship contention with a stout effort at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night. The driver of the No. 91 Columbia Bank Chevrolet Silverado RST finished fifth, earned a stage victory and scored the most points of all drivers with 48. Eckes paced the field for 132 of the 250 circuits which helped him advance to fifth in the championship standings, just 17 markers out of the lead. The Columbia Bank Chevrolet started second after Eckes delivered his best qualifying effort of the year, narrowly missing out on the pole by 0.02 seconds. On lap three, Eckes swiftly claimed control of the event by hooking the bottom of the speedway and held a comfortable lead for 62 of 65 laps in Stage 1. He efficiently navigated lapped traffic to secure his second stage victory of the season and pocketed 10 championship points on lap 65. In an effort to preserve critical track position, crew chief Dave Elenz elected to keep Eckes on track during the stage caution, along with most lead-lap competitors. When the race restarted on lap 79, Eckes jumped out to another lead and reported his handling had moderately improved from the first segment. He held the lead until a caution on lap 118 flipped the race’s script. Eckes pitted for four tires, as did the majority of the field, but restarted eighth on lap 128 after multiple trucks stayed out on older tires. He was able to regain two positions to run sixth by the end of Stage 2 on lap 130 and tally five points. Eckes stayed on track to begin the final segment and restarted third on lap 142. A sequence of three cautions over the next 25 laps featured mad scrambles on restarts amongst the top four as Eckes vied to retake the lead. After briefly claiming the lead on the lap-179 restart, Eckes and the No. 1 truck made contact racing for the lead, sparking a multi-truck incident in Turn 1, which he narrowly escaped. He restarted as the leader on lap 179, but a loose balance would eventually hamper his pace over the final 27 laps. Eckes took the checkered flag in fifth for his third top-five result of the year and his second-highest point total of the season. “It was a step in the right direction for sure,” Eckes said. “I think we led the most laps, had the fastest lap, so we’re bringing fast trucks. Qualified second. Qualifying has been kind of an issue for us for the last couple weeks. I feel like we’re heading in the right direction on there. Just need to clean up a lot of mistakes on my end. I lost the handling a little bit and track position is so important. I just screwed up the restart pretty bad and screwed up the restart before then. Lot of mental decisions I got to make better and we’ll make them at Texas.” Start / Finish: 2 / 5 Points Standing / Total: 5th / 191 pts. (-17) Next Race: Friday, May 1, Texas Motor Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM NAPA: @NAPARacing Christian Eckes: @christianeckes Bill McAnally Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Eckes Scores Most Points, Stage Win, and Top-Five at Bristol appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Mason Massey finished 12th in the ARCA Menards Series West 150 at Tucson Speedway after a strong overall day that saw him post the ninth-fastest time in practice and qualify third for the 150-lap event. He lined the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet up near the front of the field but immediately focused on tire management on a surface that produced heavy falloff throughout the run. At the drop of the green flag, Massey gave up ground as the field quickly settled into long-run pace, focusing on managing tire wear on the abrasive surface. Much of the race was defined by heavy tire conservation, with large groups of cars running closely together while trying to preserve their equipment. The tightly packed field produced extended stretches of three-wide racing across multiple lanes, as drivers balanced saving tires with maintaining track position. Throughout the race, Massey remained committed to a smooth, low-line approach while navigating traffic and the evolving pace of the field. As some of the leaders pushed harder to apply pressure, it forced drivers who were saving to pick up the pace and limited their ability to fully conserve tires. In the closing stages, Massey got the caution he needed with 37 laps to go and set his sights on moving forward when the race went back green. He quickly worked his way back toward the top 10 before getting loose exiting Turn 4 and making hard contact with the outside wall. The contact resulted in handling issues over the final laps as he battled a tight feeling balance, and Massey ultimately brought the car NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet home in 12th. “I thought we had a great plan going into the race with both us and Hailie (Deegan, teammate),” Massey said after the race. “My NAPA Auto Care team gave me a great car with speed and stability that gave me the ability to take care of the tires so well. I made the mistake coming off of turn four and hit the wall pretty good there. After that, the car wasn’t handling well. We didn’t have the balance and all I could do was limp it home. We’ll regroup and get after it again at Shasta.” Start / Finish: 3 / 12 Points Standing / Total: 2nd / 118 pts. (-5) Next Race: Saturday, May 2, Shasta Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 11:30 p.m. ET on Floracing.com Mason Massey: @Mason_Massey NAPA: @NAPARacing Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Aggressive Strategy at Tucson Falls Through for Massey appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Hailie Deegan moved up to third in the points standings with a seventh-place finish in the ARCA Menards Series West 150 at Tucson Speedway. Deegan opened the ARCA Menards Series West event with the second-fastest time in practice, then backed it up with a sixth-place qualifying effort, immediately placing herself near the front of the field. Once the race settled into extended runs on Tucson’s abrasive surface, Deegan became part of the tightly packed group navigating heavy tire wear. The field frequently ran multiple rows deep and three-wide, with minimal separation as drivers worked to balance conserving tires with maintaining track position. Early in the race, Deegan remained inside the top-10 as the pace fluctuated throughout the field. She briefly slipped outside the top-10 while adjusting to changing balance and the evolving tire falloff, but her pace remained competitive amidst the tire conservation. In the final segment, Deegan’s speed began to show through more clearly. After the caution with 37 laps to go, she steadily regained track position in the closing laps, reentering the top-10 and advancing forward in the final run. She ultimately secured a seventh-place finish for her second top-10 result in the first three events. Deegan marked a strong result that reflected improving long-run pace and consistency as she continues to build confidence following time away from stock car racing. “We started out the day good ending up second in practice in my No.16 Columbia Bank Chevrolet SS,” Deegan said. “In the race, I knew managing tire wear was going to be important, and we decided to fall back to save tire for the end of the race. In the end, I think it was the right move, but we just tried to save our tires a bit too long.” Start / Finish: 6 / 7 Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 108 pts. (-15) Next Race: Saturday, May 2, Shasta Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 11:30 p.m. ET on Floracing.com Hailie Deegan: @HailieDeegan NAPA: @NAPARacing Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Deegan Gains Ground in ARCA West Standings appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Christian Eckes was building towards a top-10 run at Rockingham Speedway on Friday evening before an ill-timed caution crossed up his effort. The driver of the No. 91 NAPA Auto Care / Black’s Tire Chevrolet Silverado RST was credited with a 13th-place finish after post-race technical inspection altered the final results. Eckes sits seventh in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) standings after five of 18 regular season events. Eckes made his first start at “The Rock” in the NCTS from deep in the field, 22nd, after qualifying was briefly delayed due to weather during the early afternoon. The opening 45-lap stage flew by in a flash as it ran clean and green on the one-mile track’s ultra fast pavement. The quick race pace and narrow groove made passing extraordinarily challenging as Eckes moved to 18th by the end of the first stage. Crew chief Dave Elenz gave Eckes four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to improve his rear security during the first pit stop. The NAPA Auto Care / Black’s Tire team gained him two positions as he restarted 16th on lap 55. Eckes was able to maneuver his Chevrolet forward in the second stint up to 12th by lap 69 and maintained that position until the end of Stage 2 at lap 90. During the second stage caution, Eckes’ team executed another four-tire pit stop with adjustments as the No. 91 restarted 13th on lap 99. Eckes held the 12th position again until a round of green flag pit stops began to unfold with less than 50 laps remaining. Elenz called Eckes to pit road for the final stop on lap 163 but an ominous caution flew on lap 166 and trapped him two laps down. Eckes took the “wave around” after the leaders pitted under the caution and lined up 16th for the day’s final restart on lap 173. He was able to dice his way through a jumbled lineup of lapped trucks to pick off two positions and crossed under the checkers in 14th. As a result of a post-race technical infraction to the No. 38 truck, Eckes was credited with a 13th-place finish. “Tough day, for sure, Eckes said after the race.” We didn’t qualify well and that put our NAPA Auto Care / Black’s Tire Chevy behind the eight ball to start. We know we need to improve there to not make it hard on ourselves. Our balance was ok, just lacked rear security at times. We had the speed to run a lot higher but it’s so hard to pass here after the repave. We’ll go to Bristol, try to start farther towards the front and get some points back there.” Start / Finish: 22 / 13 Points Standing / Total: 7th / 143 pts. (-47) Next Race: Friday, April 10, Bristol Motor Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM NAPA: @NAPARacing Christian Eckes: @christianeckes Bill McAnally Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Caution Crosses Up Eckes at Rockingham appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Daniel Hemric was in position to score his third consecutive top-10 result and continue climbing in the standings, but an unscheduled pit stop thwarted his effort at Rockingham Speedway. The driver of the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado RST was credited with a 24th-place finish despite scoring stage points and running inside the top-10 for a significant portion of the event. Hemric hoped to continue his recent rekindled consistency on Friday after qualifying 15th at “The Rock”. Through the first 45-lap segment of the event, Hemric battled a free handling condition and limited his mobility around the blazing-fast one-mile oval. As Stage 1 ran fully under the green flag, Hemric was scored 16th at the first green-checkered flag of the day on lap 45. Crew chief Kevin Bellicourt elected to throw an early strategy ploy on the first stop of the race. He gave Hemric two tires and fuel under the stage caution which netted eight positions. The ultra-high speeds on Rockingham’s fresh asphalt put a premium on track position and clean air, which made passing significantly challenging. Despite being at a tire disadvantage, Hemric steadily maintained the eighth position and scored three points at the end of Stage 2 on lap 90. Hemric took four tires and fuel under the second stage caution and restarted 11th on lap 99 as several competitors elected to take two tires. However, during the green flag run, Hemric began experiencing a vibration which became increasingly severe. On lap 139, he pitted for left side tires to address the issue but was forced back to pit road a second time for right side tires. The unfortunate culprit, a loose wheel, sent Hemric to 31st, two laps down. Over the final 50 laps, he was able to salvage a portion of those positions and took the checkered flag in 25th. Following a penalty to the No. 38 truck in post-race inspection, Hemric was credited with a 24th-place result. “Certainly not how we wanted our day to go,” Hemric remarked. “We were looking at a top-10 day with our NAPA Chevrolet. Kevin [Bellicourt] made a great call early to get us some track position. That was huge to gain those spots because it was so hard to pass. You likely weren’t going to gain that difference on the racetrack. We had speed to maintain our position, even with a tire disadvantage. Thought we could leapfrog a couple guys on the green flag stop, but we never made it that far. Unfortunate for sure, but we’ll put it behind us and move forward as a group to Bristol next week.” Start / Finish: 15 / 24 Points Standing / Total: 18th / 91 pts. (-99) Next Race: Friday, April 10, Bristol Motor Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM NAPA: @NAPARacing Daniel Hemric: @DanielHemric Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Hemric Slowed by Unscheduled Stop at ‘The Rock’ appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

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Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 10th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The 30-year-old driver finished the first stage in 12th and followed that up with a 14th-place finish in stage two. During the final stage, Elliott was running ninth when crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call to pit early. Fresh tires put Elliott on offense, and he quickly made up ground. He cycled to the lead and was scored second at the time of a caution on lap 311. Elliott remained in the top three from there, and after the last caution of the race came out on lap 324, he cleared for the lead on the restart and didn’t look back, earning his 22nd career Cup Series victory. It was Elliott’s second Cup Series win at Martinsville and his first points-paying victory of the season. Elliott moved up to fourth in the Cup Series points standings. He is now 104 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 10th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. When the green flag dropped, Elliott battled for ninth but got stuck in the outside lane and settled into 13th. On the long, green-flag run, the 30-year-old driver regained some ground. He advanced to 11th before ultimately ending the first stage in 12th. During the stage break, Elliott reported that the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet was “swingy.” Crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. A fast stop by the team put Elliott 10th for the choose. He opted for the inside of row six, taking the green flag for stage two in 11th on lap 96. He was in the same position when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 105. Staying out, Elliott lined up 13th for the restart after choosing the preferred bottom lane. From there, Elliott continued to run inside the top 15, with the remainder of the stage going caution-free. He took the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage two in 14th on lap 180. Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported positive feedback on the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy’s balance. After pitting for four tires and fuel, he lined up 11th to start the final stage on lap 193. Elliott gained positions early, running in eighth for several laps before dropping to ninth on lap 247. He remained there until Gustafson made the call to short-pit on lap 262. Elliott returned to the track on fresher tires than the rest of the field and quickly gained ground. Eventually, others began visiting pit road, which put Elliott as the leader at the end of the pit cycle on lap 293. He held on with his older tires until the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin made the pass for the top spot on lap 309. The strategy call paid off for Elliott and the No. 9 team when a caution came out on lap 311. Elliott was the second car off pit road following his pit stop but restarted third due to one car opting to stay out. Shortly after the field returned to green, the race was slowed for a multi-car incident on lap 324. Elliott was scored in second at the time of the yellow. He lined up on the outside of the first row for the restart and cleared for the lead on lap 334. Elliott continued to lead while working his way through lap traffic in the closing laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag for his 22nd career Cup Series win. “It was definitely a team effort. That was awesome,” Elliott said after the win. “We’ve never had a win this early in the season. Just a really great team effort. So proud of Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the whole No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet team. They did a great job all day. “We took a gamble. We were going to two-stop that last stage. I honestly think it was going to work out good for us either way. Just so proud of this team. Man, they put up with a lot (smiling). They have to put up with me all the time, and I just appreciate them for sticking with me. It’s lot of fun when days like this work out. Thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Mr. Hendrick, Chevrolet and all of our partners for the support.” Elliott is now fourth in the Cup Series points standings, 104 markers behind the leader. Start / Finish: 10 / 1 Points Standing / Total: 4th / 249 pts. (-104) Next Race: Sunday, April 12, Bristol Motor Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or PRN NAPA: @NAPARacing Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team The post Elliott Captures the Victory at Martinsville appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article