Wood Begins ARCA West Season with Top-Ten Run at Phoenix
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By NAPA
Maddi Gordon, the driver of the
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“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,
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By NAPA
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
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By NAPA
Daison Pursley and the
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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
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By NAPA
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 link hidden, please login to view 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
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