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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

The Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team returned to action last week determined to bounce back following a challenging weekend in Arizona. The Kasey Kahne Racing team took on a three-race stretch across New Mexico, Texas and Kansas. The week kicked off Tuesday night at Vado Speedway Park in Vado, New Mexico, where Daison Pursley and the NAPA No. 9 team looked to regain momentum with the High Limit Racing series. Pursley qualified 14th and lined up sixth in Heat 1, where he held position to transfer directly into the A-Main. After starting 17th in the feature, he was able to move forward a few positions, bringing the NAPA No. 9 home with a 14th-place finish to get the team back on track. After a few days to regroup and fine-tune the car, the team unloaded with speed on Friday night at Route 66 Motor Speedway in Amarillo, Texas. Pursley laid down the ninth-fastest qualifying lap, earning a front-row starting spot in his heat race. He led early and finished second, securing the eighth starting position for the A-Main. In the feature, the NAPA No. 9 showed strong pace throughout the night. Pursley worked his way forward, battling inside the top five and contending for a podium position before ultimately finishing fourth. The performance marked a strong rebound for the team and reinforced the speed within the program. Saturday’s High Limit Racing event at Dodge City Raceway Park was canceled due to extreme winds, prompting the NAPA No. 9 team to pivot and head down the road a few hours to compete with the World of Outlaws at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. Against a stout, 38-car field, Pursley qualified eighth in Group B and advanced from fourth to third in his heat race to secure a transfer into the A-Main. Starting 12th in the feature, he battled mid-pack throughout the race and brought the NAPA No. 9 home in 13th. Following the busy stretch, the team has returned to the shop in North Carolina to regroup and prepare for the next wave of the High Limit Racing season. The series heads back to Kansas in the second half of April, starting with Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City on April 17. Start / Finish: Tuesday, March 24, Vado Speedway Park: 17 / 14 Friday, March 28, Route 66 Motor Speedway: 8 / 4 Saturday, March 29, 81 Speedway: 12 / 13 (World of Outlaws) Points Standing / Total: 9th / 391 pts. (-151) Next Race: Friday, April 17, Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, KS How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com NAPA: @NAPARacing Daison Pursley: @DaisonPursley Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt The post Pursley, NAPA No. 9 Team Get Rolling across Midwest Swing appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team turned chaos into a commanding victory Sunday afternoon at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park. The three-time world champion overcame a rocky start in qualifying and bounced back from an engine explosion in the quarterfinals to earn his 78th career national event Wally and his 10th since becoming a team owner in 2022. The veteran wheelman set low E.T. of all four elimination rounds, including the final, where he defeated second-year driver Spencer Hyde. Capps is now ranked third in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car points standings. Capps’ weekend began with adversity in qualifying as he smoked the tires in both Friday sessions and went into Saturday outside the 16-car field. Crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli mastered the third session, guiding Capps to a 4.023-second pass at 317.79 mph to move into the top half of the field. It was also the second-quickest performance of the round, landing Capps two bonus points. Like almost every other Funny Car driver, Capps’ machine lost traction early in the fourth session and he locked in the No. 7 position for Sunday eliminations. Capps kicked off race day in a big way, as he left first against three-time NHRA Heritage Series Nostalgia Funny Car champion Jason Rupert and set low E.T. of the round with a 3.980-second pass at 323.19 mph to advance. Capps then led wire-to-wire in his second-round match against Daniel Wilkerson, winning with a 4.144 E.T. to Wilkerson’s 4.157 E.T. But just as Capps crossed the finish line, a massive engine explosion split his Funny Car body in half and sent him into the wall. The incident was eerily similar to the one Capps suffered at this race one year ago, but he managed to scuff the wall, saving the chassis. The NAPA Auto Care team thrashed to rebuild the car fitted with a spare body and made it to the ready line just in time for a semifinal race against defending event winner Paul Lee. The two drivers left the starting line together before Capps pulled ahead to win with a 4.124-second pass at 303.09 mph. Capps went into the final round with lane choice over No. 1 qualifier Spencer Hyde. The NAPA Auto Care Funny Car led the way from starting line to finish line, posting another 4.124 E.T. at 303.23 mph for the win. It was Capps’ 77th Funny Car win and fourth at Phoenix, but this time, he hoisted a special diamond edition Wally to commemorate NHRA’s 75th anniversary season. “This is the coveted one right here,” Capps said as he held up the trophy. “You just think of the legacy and what’s gone into this. This is unbelievable. Thank you to Wally Parks, first of all. Katherine (Wooten) and everyone at NAPA, all the NAPA Auto Care people. We knew this was going to be a battle of attrition and dropped cylinders today. A couple of those runs, there was no way I would imagine that would have got us lane choice, but it did. It was like a bracket car. This win reminded me a lot of first my win in St. Louis [1997] because it was hot and we had 150-degree track temps there and we dropped cylinders all day but still won the race. “You want to just take these (trophies) and chop them up into 6,000 pieces for all the different NAPA stores and NAPA Auto Cares,” he continued. “Carlyle Tools came on board and has done so much fun stuff with Maddi and me. NHRA, 75 years, it’s so awesome to win here. Everybody said I had bad luck, but look, we ended up winning. Monster Energy coming on board has been so much fun. Ron Capps Motorsports, we’re having fun right now.” Next up for Capps and the NAPA Auto Care Funny Car team is the NHRA Winternationals, April 10-12, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif., where he will also compete in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Funny Car Challenge. As a California native, it’s one of the tracks Capps calls home. He’s also won the Winternationals four times, most recently in 2021. Start / Finish: No. 7 / winner in final round Points Standing / Total: No. 3 / 151 pts. (-23) Next Race: April 10-12, NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, Calif. How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing Ron Capps: @RonCapps28 Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps The post Capps, NAPA Auto Care Team Win NHRA Arizona Nationals appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

A weekend of record high temperatures presented challenges for teams competing at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, but Rookie of the Year contender Maddi Gordon and her Carlyle Tools Top Fuel team adapted well and reached the semifinals for the second consecutive race Sunday afternoon at Firebird Motorsports Park. The Ron Capps Motorsports driver had the quickest car on the property on Friday and ultimately qualified a career-best fourth, setting up a promising race day in the heat. Gordon is now fifth in the Top Fuel points standings after the second of 20 races. With crew chiefs Rob Flynn and Troy Fasching calling the shots, Gordon was the star of the first qualifying session on Friday morning as she fired off the only sub-4-second pass of the session, a 3.844-second E.T. at 329.42 mph. Though she didn’t improve in the second session, she maintained the top spot to end the day as the provisional No. 1 qualifier for the first time as a professional driver. Saturday brought Gordon’s first career Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, a race-within-a-race featuring the semifinalists from the previous event. It was a side-by-side race from stripe to stripe, but Gordon’s 3.806 E.T. came up just a tick short to two-time and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta and his 3.804 E.T. In the challenging final qualifying session, Gordon’s machine lost traction around half-track and coasted to the finish line, ultimately settling into the No. 4 starting position. On Sunday morning, Gordon lined up against newcomer Jaren Mott. Gordon grabbed the starting line advantage and never looked back, powering to a 3.852-second pass at 324.98 mph to move on. Gordon then met up with 2025 regular season champion Tony Stewart in the quarterfinals. Though Stewart moved first, Gordon drove around him with an ultra-consistent 3.851 E.T. at 324.83 mph. In the semifinals, matched up with past world champion Shawn Langdon, Gordon started to lose traction down-track and coasted across the finish line behind Langdon. She did, however, earn a spot in the next Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with her semifinal appearance. “Rob and Troy have proven they know how to walk it down the hot racetracks,” Gordon said. “It’s not about applying all the power. It’s walking it through there, which can be harder than trying to slam down those fast runs at times. I’m just really, really happy. I was in the car just looking around, thinking, ‘There is nobody else I’d rather drive for than Ron (Capps), Rob and Troy, Chuck (Grospitch), everybody on our team, Carlyle Tools, and Monster Energy. “My reaction times are getting a little bit more consistent in the .080s, and my dad and I worked on that on the practice tree this weekend,” continued Gordon, referencing her father, three-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Doug Gordon. “As much time as the crew chiefs spend in the lounge making the race car go fast, I try to spend the same amount of time making me the best driver I can be. My reaction time on the starting line and my reaction time catching it when it smokes the tires or something like that is what’s going to make me a valuable driver, so that’s what I’m trying to work on.” Gordon’s rookie season behind the wheel of the Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster will continue in three weeks at one of her home races on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour, the NHRA Winternationals, April 10-12, at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, California. Start / Finish: No. 4 / def. in semifinals Points Standing / Total: No. 5 / 152 pts. (-24) Next Race: April 10-12, NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, Calif. How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing Maddi Gordon: @MaddiGordon_TF Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps The post Gordon Adds Another Top Fuel Semifinal Appearance at Arizona Nationals appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team officially kicked off the 2026 High Limit Racing season over the past two weeks, competing in six races across Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Central Arizona Raceway. Following an offseason focused on building chemistry and speed, the Kasey Kahne Racing team entered the year with momentum and immediately showed promise against a strong field of competitors. The High Limit season opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marked the first points-paying events of the year, and the NAPA No. 9 ran consistently inside the top 10 throughout the three-night weekend. On Thursday, Pursley qualified eighth in Flight A and advanced to a 12th-place finish in the feature after starting 15th. Friday brought one of the team’s strongest performances of the weekend, as Pursley qualified third, ran up front in the heat race, and drove from ninth to sixth in the A-Main. The weekend concluded Saturday with another solid showing as the NAPA No. 9 qualified third once again and advanced from 13th to 10th in the feature. The consistent results to open the season positioned the team well in the early championship standings and reinforced the speed shown throughout the offseason. The team carried that momentum into Central Arizona Raceway for the Cactus Classic, where Pursley delivered a standout performance on Thursday night. After qualifying 10th in a stout, 31-car field, Pursley advanced through his heat race and charged from 10th to a third-place finish in the A-Main, earning the first ever podium for the NAPA No. 9 team. Friday and Saturday presented challenges, as the team continued to show speed but was ultimately sidelined by incidents in both feature events, resulting in a pair of DNFs. Despite the setbacks, the pace of the NAPA No. 9 remained evident throughout the weekend. The NAPA No. 9 team now turns its focus to the next event at Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico on Tuesday as the 2026 High Limit Racing season continues. Start / Finish: Thursday, March 12, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 15 / 12 Friday, March 13, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 9 / 6 Saturday, March 14, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 13 / 10 Thursday, March 19, Central Arizona Raceway: 10 / 3 Friday, March 20, Central Arizona Raceway: DNF Saturday, March 21, Central Arizona Raceway: DNF Points Standing / Total: 11th / 281 pts. (-125) Next Race: Tuesday, March 24, Vado Speedway Park, Vado, NM How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com NAPA: @NAPARacing Daison Pursley: @DaisonPursley Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt The post Pursley Opens High Limit Season Showing Early Speed in NAPA No. 9 appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Chase Elliott qualified third for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. The 30-year-old finished the first stage in seventh, earning valuable stage points. He followed that up with a 13th-place finish in stage two. In the final stage, Elliott battled a tough handling condition, which dropped him to 20th at one point. He recovered to earn a 15th-place finish. Following Darlington, Elliott remains fifth in the Cup Series points standings. He is now 131 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott qualified the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet in the third position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. When the green flag waved on Sunday afternoon, Elliott maintained a position inside the top 10. He was running in seventh when he reported that the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy had a tight handling condition. The first round of green-flag pit stops got underway on lap 37. The team opted to run additional laps prior to pitting on lap 45 for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Elliott was back up to eighth on lap 50 and made a last-lap pass to end the first stage in seventh on lap 90. Under the stage break, the team made a fast pit stop for four fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, which gained Elliott multiple positions. The 30-year-old driver opted for the inside of the second row to start the second stage. On the restart, Elliott battled to maintain third before settling into the fifth position. He remained there until the caution flag came out for an on-track incident on lap 111. Elliott relayed that his Chevy’s handling was “still a little tight but thought that was better.” After pitting for four tires and fuel, Elliott gained a position on pit road. Fourth to choose his lane, he lined up on the inside of row two for the restart on lap 116. Elliott held strong in the top five over the opening laps of the run before dropping to sixth on lap 124. He was running in eighth when green-flag pit stops began. Again, the team opted to run long to gain a tire advantage. Elliott cycled to the lead prior to pitting on lap 151 for four tires and fuel. He returned to the track in 19th and battled his way to 13th to end the stage on lap 185. Following a four-tire pit stop by the No. 9 UniFirst team, Elliott was 11th to choose his lane to start the final stage. He took the green flag from the outside of row seven on lap 193 and was running in 14th when the caution flag was displayed on lap 197. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and fuel. With a few teams opting not to pit, Elliott lined up 15th for the lap-203 restart. He worked his way to 14th on lap 209 but started to fade as the run went on. Elliott relayed that his No. 9 UniFirst Chevy was “plowing tight” before dropping to 20th. He visited pit road on lap 241 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to help his Chevy’s handling. After returning to the track, he improved to 16th with 45 laps to go. Despite a couple of cars on fresher tires getting by Elliott shortly after, he was able to regain some ground in the closing laps. When the checkered flag waved, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native crossed the stripe in 15th. Elliott remains fifth in the Cup Series points standings, now 131 markers behind the leader. Start / Finish: 3 / 15 Points Standing / Total: 5th / 194 pts. (-131) Next Race: Sunday, March 29, Martinsville Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or MRN NAPA: @NAPARacing Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team The post Elliott Places 15th at Darlington appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Christian Eckes nailed down his second podium result of the season at Darlington Raceway on Friday night with a third-place finish. The driver of the No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST captured his first stage win of the season and gained three positions in the championship standings with a stellar run throughout the 200-mile event. Eckes put on a showcase in the first 45-lap stage after taking the green flag from 16th position. He wasted no time charging towards the front, cracking the top-10 by lap nine despite firing off with a snug balance. After restarting 10th on lap 19, Eckes charged up the leaderboard and into the top five by lap 27. He steadily worked the extreme bottom line in Turns 3 and 4 to perfection to chase down the leaders and claimed the lead by lap 42. He held on to capture 10 critical points and his first stage checker of the season. After making a four-tire pit stop under the first stage caution, Eckes restarted sixth on lap 54 and quickly returned to the top-five. Unlike the first segment, he contended with an exceedingly loose balance and a lack of rear grip. The final 30 laps of the second stage ran under green-flag conditions, and Eckes padded his point total by securing six points in fifth position at lap 90. Crew chief Dave Elenz made a small chassis adjustment to add rear grip during the No. 91 team’s second four-tire stop of the race. Eckes restarted seventh on lap 99 and returned to pit road shortly thereafter as a quick caution allowed the field to bolt on another set of sticker tires. Eckes restarted 13th on lap 109 but rapidly returned to fifth by lap 120. He took his final set of tires under a lap 120 caution and restarted fourth on lap 128. The night concluded with two frantic, green-white-checker restarts as Eckes briefly grabbed second and took the checkered flag in third position. The result advanced him to sixth in the championship standings as he has scored three top-five finishes in three races at “The Lady in Black” with MHR. “Just needed a little more pace,” Eckes said after the race. “Really good on a long haul, especially in Stage 1. I just kind of lost the grip level and competitiveness of that stage for the rest of the race. Overall, really proud of these Adaptive One guys. It’s been a rough stretch. To get a stage win and complete all night is definitely good.” Start / Finish: 16 / 3 Points Standing / Total: 6th / 119 pts. (-53) Next Race: Friday, April 3, Rockingham Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM NAPA: @NAPARacing Christian Eckes: @christianeckes Bill McAnally Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Eckes Scores Podium Finish and Stage Win at Darlington appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Daniel Hemric took an arduous road to finish in the top 10 at Darlington Raceway, yet the driver of the No. 19 NAPA Nightvision Chevrolet Silverado RST gained significant ground in the standings by night’s end. Hemric earned a ninth-place finish, which netted him five positions in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series standings with his second-consecutive top-10 result. Over the last two races, Hemric has closed to within 14 markers of the provisional Chase cut line. Hemric qualified 14th on Friday afternoon and made steady progress in the opening 45 laps of the event. The NAPA Nightvision Chevrolet started too tight for Hemric’s preference but came alive once the tires degraded. After restarting 14th on lap 19, Hemric’s long run speed methodically vaulted him into 10th position to score one point at the end of Stage 1 at lap 45. During the first stage caution, Hemric pitted for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment to improve the front grip. He restarted the second segment from 13th on lap 54 and continued to battle with a similar handling condition during the middle portion of the evening. However, Hemric benefited from strong long-run pace to move forward to 11th at the end of Stage 2 on lap 90. The second stage caution and another yellow flag shortly thereafter created two consecutive pit sequences that unfortunately put Hemric back to 24th for a restart on lap 109. He advanced to 20th and restarted there on lap 128 after the majority of the field made their final pit stop of night. A critical moment unfolded on lap 150 when Hemric narrowly escaped a multi-truck accident to advance to 14th. The pair of subsequent green-white-checkered restarts gave Hemric an opportunity to hustle into ninth at the checkered flag and score his first pair of back-to-back top-10 results of 2026. “Good to gain some points and have a respectable finish with our NAPA Nightvision Chevrolet,” Hemric remarked following the race. “We were too tight most of the night but we would reach a point in the run where our truck would really sustain well and we could make time. It’s encouraging to have that long run pace but definitely need more on the short run and clean some things up too before we get to Rockingham.” Start / Finish: 14 / 9 Points Standing / Total: 14th / 75 pts. (-97) Next Race: Friday, April 3, Rockingham Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM NAPA: @NAPARacing Daniel Hemric: @DanielHemric Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR The post Hemric Notches Second-Consecutive Top-10 at Darlington appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Chase Elliott qualified 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He made steady progress in the first stage, ending it in the eighth position. Elliott followed that up with a ninth-place finish in the second stage. In the final stage, the 30-year-old driver spent most of it in the top five. Following a caution, he restarted from the second row and settled into third before making the pass for second with 34 laps to go. He closed the gap to the leader but ultimately ran out of time, taking the checkered flag in second. The runner-up result was Elliott’s second top-five finish of the season and tied his previous-best effort at the track. Elliott leaves Las Vegas fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 87 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 15th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet showed speed early in the 267-lap event. He battled for 10th in the opening laps before settling into 11th. Prior to making a scheduled green-flag pit stop, the 30-year-old driver reported that the No. 9 Chevy “could get a little snug at times in the center of turns one and two.” Elliott visited pit road on lap 34 for four fresh tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Once the field cycled through pit stops, Elliott was scored in the 10th position. He continued to gain ground, finishing stage one in eighth place and collecting three stage points. Under the stage-ending caution, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts crew completed a fast pit stop for four tires and fuel, allowing Elliott to gain three positions on pit road. After a car ahead of him received a pit road penalty, Elliott started the second stage from row two on lap 89. He was in a four-car battle for the lead before settling into third. Elliott slipped to fourth prior to the start of green-flag pit stops. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called the Dawsonville, Georgia, native to pit road for fuel and four tires on lap 122. Unfortunately, there was an issue on the left rear that caused a long pit stop. Elliott lost some track position but was still scored inside the top 10 once pit stops for the field were complete. Elliott held strong in seventh before slipping to ninth to end the second stage. During the stage break, Elliott relayed that he had “overbuilt the right rear just a little too much.” He visited pit road for four tires and fuel under the caution, gaining two positions. Elliott restarted seventh for the final stage on lap 173 and improved to fifth by lap 180. He was running in that same spot when a caution came out for an on-track incident on lap 212. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy reported that “it was building to a nice spot.” After pitting for fuel and four tires, he lined up fourth for the choose, restarting from the inside of row two with just 50 laps to go. He held strong, running in third before making a pass for the second position with 34 laps remaining. Elliott gained ground on the leader in the closing laps but ultimately ran out of time, taking the checkered flag in the runner-up position. “I felt like our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was a little better there on the longer run,” Elliott said after the race. “I thought Denny (Hamlin, race leader) was starting to fall off, and I was just trying to be as tidy as I could and give myself an opportunity. We just came up a little bit short. But honestly, with where we’ve been to how we ran today, it was not even comparable. As bummed as I am, I have to check myself back to reality and understand how big of an improvement that was from past races (at Las Vegas Motor Speedway). Just proud of this team. It’s a lot of fun to be right there in the mix with those guys that have won a lot of races out here. Excited about that and hopefully we can keep building on it.” Elliott is now fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 87 markers behind the leader. Start / Finish: 15 / 2 Points Standing / Total: 5th / 168 pts. (-87) Next Race: Sunday, March 22, Darlington Raceway How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or MRN NAPA: @NAPARacing Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team The post Elliott Earns Runner-Up Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

Chase Elliott qualified 26th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. The 30-year-old driver improved to 20th to end the first stage. In the second stage, Elliott was caught up in a multi-car incident where the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet sustained damage to the left rear. After repairs were made under caution, Elliott continued on to finish the second stage in 13th. In the final stage, Elliott turned laps inside the top 10 before he was collected in another incident. This time, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy received right front damage. After pitting twice for repairs under the yellow, Elliott battled back to finish the 312-lap race in 23rd. Elliott leaves Phoenix fourth in the Cup Series points standings, 97 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts team qualified 26th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. At the start of the 312-lap event, Elliott made headway, climbing to 18th early. He continued to turn laps in the top 20, ultimately ending the caution-free first stage in 20th at lap 60. Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott relayed to crew chief Alan Gustafson that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was free. The 2020 Cup Series champion brought the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy to the attention of his pit crew for four tires, fuel and an adjustment. Elliott was 18th to choose his lane for the start of stage two, opting for the inside. The field went back to green on lap 71, and he settled into 18th before slipping to 20th on lap 80. Elliott was running in 21st when the caution came out on lap 94 for a single-car incident. He reported to his team that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy’s handling was better. After a fast stop for four tires and fuel, he lined up 14th for the lap-102 restart. Unfortunately, he was caught up in a multi-car incident before he could take advantage of the gained track position. Under the caution, Elliott came to pit road for four tires and repairs to his Chevy’s damaged left rear. Elliott restarted deep in the field and was up to 28th when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 133. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and fuel. A fast stop helped Elliott restart in the 20th position. He climbed as high as 17th and was scored in 18th when the race was slowed for debris on lap 158. After pitting for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment, Elliott lined up 15th to choose his lane for the restart, opting for the top. The field went back to green on lap 168, and the 30-year-old driver climbed to the 10th position on lap 172 before ending the second stage in 13th at lap 185. During the stage break, Elliott visited pit road for fuel and four fresh tires. He was 10th to choose his lane to start the final stage, lining up on the outside. Elliott turned laps in the top 10 before slipping to 13th on lap 201. He was scored in 18th when the caution flag was displayed at lap 210. With the team down a set of tires from having to pit following the stage-two incident, the call was made for Elliott to stay out while a majority of the field pitted. He lined up on the front row for the restart, in the second position. Almost immediately after taking the green flag, a multi-car incident slowed the race once again. Elliott was running in third under the yellow and remained on the track to restart from the second row on lap 226. On his older tires, Elliott quickly faded outside the top 20. He was 31st at the time of the next caution on lap 246. After pitting for four tires and fuel, Elliott restarted in 24th on lap 253. He was collected in a multi-car incident shortly after the field retook the green. This time, the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy suffered damage to the right front. Elliott pitted twice for the team to work on repairs. He restarted in 28th at lap 264 and, after initially gaining positions, he slipped back to 28th. As the run went on, he improved to 25th and was scored in 24th at the time of the next caution on lap 288. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires, fuel and an adjustment. The driver of the No. 9 restarted 23rd and maneuvered to 21st before another incident brought out the yellow flag with just 18 laps to go. Staying out, Elliott restarted from 21st with 13 circuits remaining. He battled hard for position in his damaged Chevy, ultimately taking the checkered flag in 23rd. Elliott is now fourth in the Cup Series points standings, 97 markers behind the leader. Start / Finish: 26 / 23 Points Standing / Total: 4th / 128 pts. (-97) Next Race: Sunday, March 15, Las Vegas Motor Speedway How to Watch or Listen: 4:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or PRN NAPA: @NAPARacing Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott Hendrick Motorsports: @TeamHendrick No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team The post Elliott Finishes 23rd after Tough Day at Phoenix Raceway appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article

NHRA Rookie of the Year contender Maddi Gordon made her presence known Sunday at the NHRA Gatornationals when she raced to a semifinal finish at Gainesville Raceway. Gordon piloted her Carlyle Tools Top Fuel dragster out of the Ron Capps Motorsports camp to round wins over two of the most accomplished drivers in class history before tire smoke ended her run at the opening race of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. She leaves Gainesville ranked fourth in the points standings. Gordon was the first Top Fuel driver to hit the track in Friday qualifying. Just a couple hours after announcing a multi-year major associate partnership with Monster Energy, Gordon posted a 3.861-second pass at 319.29 mph to take the provisional No. 11 position. She stepped up to a 3.793 E.T. at 321.35 mph in the Friday night session and ended the day in the No. 15 spot. On Saturday, Gordon encountered tire smoke on her third qualifying attempt but came back with a consistent 3.797 E.T. at 328.06 mph in the final qualifying session. It was the quickest pass of the round, netting Gordon three bonus points. She solidified the No. 15 slot going into race day and became the 591st driver and the 23rd woman to qualify for an NHRA Top Fuel field. In her first-ever Top Fuel competition round, Gordon lined up against No. 2 qualifier and former world champion Shawn Langdon, who was recently named to NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list. Crew chief Rob Flynn guided Gordon to her quickest pass of the event, a 3.762 E.T. at 334.48 mph, to get past a tire-smoking Langdon. The competition didn’t get any easier for Gordon, as she went on to face the winningest driver in the history of the class, eight-time world champion Tony Schumacher, when Top Fuel returned to the starting line for the quarterfinals. Gordon powered to a 3.783 E.T. at 331.53 mph to defeat Schumacher and his 3.863 E.T. That sent Gordon to the semifinals and earned her a spot in the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the season, which will take place during Saturday qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals. The semifinals brought another battle of youth versus experience as Gordon faced her third “Top 75” driver, two-time and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta. Gordon started hazing the tires early and had to lift off the throttle as Kalitta advanced with his quickest pass of the day. “That was just a really, really good weekend,” said Gordon, who became the 100th woman to win an NHRA national event when she drove her family’s Top Alcohol Funny Car to victory at the 2024 NHRA Northwest Nationals. “Of course, we all want to win the race, but I couldn’t have asked for much more in my debut. It was so cool to line up against Shawn in the first round. Rob was confident that the car would get down the track. When I heard (Langdon) blow the tires off in the other lane, I seriously spoke out loud, ‘That wasn’t me! We’re still going!’ Seeing that first win light was insane. I actually started to lose my voice after that one. It’s just been an amazing weekend.” Gordon’s rookie campaign will continue at the NHRA Arizona Nationals, March 20-22, at Firebird Motorsports Park near Phoenix. Start / Finish: No. 15 / def. in semifinals Points Standing / Total: 4th / 74 pts. (-53) Next Race: March 20-22, NHRA Arizona Nationals, Chandler, Ariz. How to Watch or Listen: FS1, NHRA.TV NAPA Racing:@NAPARacing Maddi Gordon: @MaddiGordon_TF Ron Capps Motorsports: @TeamRonCapps The post Statement-Making Top Fuel Debut Sends Maddi Gordon to Gatornationals Semifinal appeared first on NAPA Blog. View the full article