NOTE: Blue indicates the driver is from Group 1.
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Throughout Big Game Motorsports’ history, there’s been a quiet, reliable presence working hard to help ensure Tod Quiring’s cars remain some of the fastest in the country. While a handful of drivers have come and gone, crew member Pete Stephens has almost always been there. He may have had some stints with other teams, but […]
Throughout Big Game Motorsports’ history, there’s been a quiet, reliable presence working hard to help ensure Tod Quiring’s cars remain some of the fastest in the country.
While a handful of drivers have come and gone, crew member Pete Stephens has almost always been there. He may have had some stints with other teams, but Big Game has remained a priority for 15 years.
That commitment led to him being tapped as the new car chief for David Gravel and the defending World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series champions. He stepped into the role after Stephen Hamm-Reilly vacated the position at the end of the 2024 season.
Stephens’ path to becoming a car chief began in his home state of Washington. He’s from the town of Mount Vernon, which is just a 15-minute drive down I-5 from Skagit Speedway. Attending races with his family evolved into helping a local team to get his foot in the door.
“I started out at Skagit with Chad Hillier when he was young,” Stephens recalled. “He started in the Sportsman class out there. I just knew him through friends and everything and started working with him in the mid to late 90s, probably. I just kind of raced at Skagit with him for a long time.”
Eventually, Hillier got the opportunity to expand his operation nationally, which also allowed Stephens to hit the road for the first time.
“Chad got a chance to go out and run World of Outlaws stuff in 2007,” Stephens said. “I had a business back there at that time, and I always thought working on a World of Outlaws Sprint Car team was one of those things like, ‘Oh man, if I could do anything, that’s what I would do.’ So, he got a break to go run that stuff, and I just kind of called him one time and asked if he knew anybody looking for help because I’d maybe like to go try it, and he said they were. It was basically him and Tyler Swank at the time, so I went out with those guys for a bit and liked it.”
The business Stephens mentioned is part of what instilled his work ethic. He started a hoof trimming operation for cattle, which makes Sprint Car maintenance feel easy by comparison.
“You’re usually up by five-thirty or six in the morning,” Stephens said of a regular day in the hoof trimming business. “You usually got half an hour to an hour drive to your job site. You set up, and you’re usually there for eight to 10 hours, and you’re physically moving non-stop because in the hoof trimming world, if you’re not moving, you’re not making money. You’re physically working most of the day. We did dairy cows, and with the farms getting the size they are, it’s a very labor-intensive job.”
The time on the tour allowed Stephens to make some connections and led to working with one of the sport’s legends in 2009. Sammy Swindell was driving for Tom Rolfe, and Stephens joined the crew. The next domino to fall was heading to Lonnie Parsons’ team with Danny Lasoski in late 2009. Oddly enough, that’s where Stephens first met current Big Game crew chief Cody Jacobs as they both worked with Barry Jackson on the No. 6. The following year, Swindell joined forces with Big Game, and Stephens reunited with “Slammin’ Sammy” in Quiring’s camp for what became a hugely successful stretch.
“That was a lot of fun when Sammy got into that deal,” Stephens said. “We had a good time. We finished 2010 and started 2011 with a pretty light crew. There was only two of us, me and Scott Green was the kid’s name who did tires and stuff like that. That was a lot of fun, 2010, ’11, ’12. We won a lot of races and had a good time.”
Stephens worked for a different team following the run with Swindell but was quickly back in the Big Game shop, this time on Craig Dollansky’s car. But he wasn’t done with Swindell as Stephens returned to the No. 1 team in 2014.
In the late 2010s, Stephens made the decision to head home and focus on business as well as raising his child, but it wasn’t long until involvement with Big Game was back on his calendar. When Cody Jacobs went to the team in 2020, the two talked, and Stephens returned part-time, a period that birthed a nickname.
“Once Cody got here, the joke was kind of that I would only go to the big events,” Stephens said with a laugh. “My one friend Nate, he nicknamed me “Big Money Pete.” So, yeah, I’d go to the larger events and help out and stuff like that.”
Fast forward to the off-season heading into 2025, and Big Game was looking for a full-time car chief. Originally, Stephens had no plans of being on the road this season, but the team’s first candidate backed out. So, Stephens agreed to help get them ready for the season opener and navigate the opening portion of the season. But one thing led to another, and he agreed to come aboard for the entire season of their title defense.
It’s been the right move so far as the No. 2 team has been all but unstoppable in 2025. They’ve already piled up eight wins, 17 podiums, and 23 top fives through 27 races. Their average finish is third, and their worst result is seventh. Gravel owns a healthy 188-point advantage atop the standings.
There’s no doubt Big Game Motorsports is at the height of their powers. The team’s history features many successful chapters, but none quite as impactful as the last four-plus years since Gravel came aboard. Stephens has been around for nearly every step of the way, and he remains a key contributor – a rewarding journey for a Washington kid who wanted more than anything to work with a World of Outlaws team.
“It’s been pretty cool to see it built,” Stephens said. “So many people don’t realize how hard it is. These things are built over time. I don’t care how much money you’ve got; spending money is not going to win a race. It’s people. It’s engines. It’s all the small things that have to come together and work. It’s been really neat to kind of watch Tod and Cody. I mean, I knew Cody when he was in his mid-20s and have watched him grow into this and do what he’s done with Tod. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Stephens, Gravel, and the entire Big Game Motorsports team continue their quest for back-to-back World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car titles this week with four races in five nights. First up is Minnesota’s Jackson Motorplex on Wednesday, June 4, for the FENDT Showdown. Then, the Badger State Triple takes teams to three Wisconsin tracks in three nights with visits to Plymouth Dirt Track (June 6), Beaver Dam Raceway (June 7), and Angell Park Speedway (June 8) on the calendar. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
DIRTcar Series PR
Shane van Gisbergen scored his third consecutive pole on a road course, posting the fastest lap in Cup qualifying Saturday at Sonoma Raceway. The Trackhouse Racing driver won the pole and race at Mexico City and repeated the feat last weekend in the Chicago Street Race. Saturday, he toured the 1.99-mile road course north of […]
Shane van Gisbergen scored his third consecutive pole on a road course, posting the fastest lap in Cup qualifying Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.
The Trackhouse Racing driver won the pole and race at Mexico City and repeated the feat last weekend in the Chicago Street Race.
Saturday, he toured the 1.99-mile road course north of San Francisco at 96.040 mph.
Chase Briscoe (95.719 mph) qualified second to join van Gisbergen on the front row.
Points leader William Byron (95.488) will start third, followed by Ross Chastain (95.409) and AJ Allmendinger (95.367).
The race in Northern California will be held in July for the first time.
Ty Gibbs, who finished second to van Gisbergen last weekend at Chicago, will start sixth after a lap of 95.357 mph.
The green flag is scheduled to wave at 3:50 p.m. ET Sunday.
The three key contenders in the headlining Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class delivered an entertaining opening 45-minute race to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. At the end, championship leader Valentino Catalano in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 returned to the top for his fourth […]
The three key contenders in the headlining Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class delivered an entertaining opening 45-minute race to the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
At the end, championship leader Valentino Catalano in the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08 returned to the top for his fourth win of the season in seven rounds.
The complexion of the race changed before it even started with Catalano’s Gebhardt teammate, Oscar Tunjo in his No. 31 Duqueine D08, moved to the rear of the P3 field from pole following a technical infraction discovered in post-qualifying technical inspection. That promoted Jonathan Woolridge to pole in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320, with Catalano second and Tunjo back in fifth.
Woolridge led early but Tunjo made his way back to third behind Catalano. Catalano made a bold pass on Woolridge for the lead on lap eight. He passed Woolridge around the outside of the right-handed Turn 8, which set him up to have the inside for the subsequent left-handed Turn 9.
Tunjo followed through for second four laps later on lap 12 and emerged just over three seconds behind Catalano and began his pursuit.
“Driving the wheels off the car” can be used colloquially to describe a driver gaining pace on their rival. In Tunjo’s case, the phrase was first metaphorical – he closed from 3s to within 0.3s on lap 18 – and then literal, when a lap later his left front tire and wheel departed the No. 31 car exiting Turn 10 onto the front straight.
That brought out a full-course caution which closed the field. Absent his teammate, Catalano brought home the win by 2.331s over Woolridge with Bronze Cup winner Brian Thienes third in his No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320.
“After the pass I was just managing my race,” Catalano said. “I wanted to know I had a gap, and I know the entire degradation is really high here, so I took it quite easy. Then I saw that Oscar was pushing and then I was thinking, ‘Oh, should I push now as well?’
“Then suddenly I saw he was in the wall and with the tire lost. It’s really unfortunate for him because there would have been a really fun battle, I think. It was a good race. It’s really tricky around here to manage everything. Degradation is high and I had some other issues in the car, which got worse at the end, so I just had to bring it home.”
Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) and Grand Sport X (GSX) classes were straightforward affairs, with both polesitters leading flag-to-flag en route to victory. However, drama in both classes occurred for the final podium places.
In GTDX, Jake Walker enjoyed a successful race with his fourth win in the last five races aboard the No. 6 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 and won by 12.440s.
“We had a good start, and I got a bit of a gap, which was key,” Walker said. “I just kept putting down this lap time and looking forward. The Turner Motorsport BMW was ripping right out of the gate. This is my first time here and it’s an awesome track, man. It’s fast and it takes a lot out of you.”
Behind them, the championship complexion changed after the restart inside the final 10 minutes. Title rivals AJ Muss (No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) and Adam Adelson (No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R) collided exiting Turn 10, with Muss assessed a 10s post-race time penalty for incident responsibility to drop from second to third.
Adelson was promoted to second, which unofficially gives him the championship lead by 20 points over Muss. Samantha Tan (No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3) marked her return to her home country venue at CTMP with the Bronze Cup win in fourth.
GSX was similarly controlled by championship leader Kiko Porto in his No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, who took his fifth win of the season by 8.597s. The team recovered from missing most of the first practice session on Friday due to a mechanical issue that Porto explained nearly set him back on his first visit to CTMP.
“We had a similar problem to what took us from victory lane at COTA,” Porto said. “We were a little bit worried that would stay happening throughout the weekend, but the team did an amazing job to fix the car.
“In the beginning of the race, I was a little bit more aware of controlling the pace. We were able to make an almost eight-second gap. The yellow came, but I still had tires to the finish.”
Steven Clemons finished second in his No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 while Chris Walsh leapt to third and the Bronze Cup win in his No. 22 TWOth Autosport Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS following a last-lap issue for Ian Porter in his No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, who slowed on course and dropped to eighth in GSX.
Sunday’s second VP Racing Challenge race of the weekend is at 11:10 a.m. ET and local time, streaming on Peacock, IMSA.TV and IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.
RESULTS
NOTE: Blue indicates the driver is from Group 1. Related Ryan Rantz President, founder and visionary of “ifantasyrace.com, the way you fantasy race”. Follow me on Twitter and LIKE my Facebook page. Sonoma Toyota / Save Mart 350 NASCAR Practice 5,10 and 15 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet Link 0
WHIPPANY, N.J. and SONOMA, Calif., July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, is pleased to announce its role […]
WHIPPANY, N.J. and SONOMA, Calif., July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (NYSE: SPH), a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas, fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, is pleased to announce its role as the main sponsor of Track to Table, an exclusive event uniting the charitable, culinary, and motorsports communities, to kick off Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
This debut Track to Table event will take place on Friday, July 11, at the iconic Turn 11 Club at Sonoma Raceway, merging the adrenaline of NASCAR with the flair of fine dining, live music, and charitable giving. All proceeds will benefit Speedway Children’s Charities Sonoma, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of Sonoma County children and families in critical need.
“Track to Table is a perfect blend of purpose and celebration, and we’re honored to empower such a meaningful evening that supports children and families,” said Nandini Sankara, Spokesperson, Suburban Propane. “As a proud partner of Speedway Motorsports and a long-time supporter of community-focused initiatives through our SuburbanCares platform, Suburban Propane is delighted to help bring this remarkable new tradition to life.”
Through its SuburbanCares pillar, Suburban Propane is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. Supporting Track to Table aligns with the company’s broader mission to fuel positive change, champion local organizations, and support programs that directly impact children and families in need.
“We’re excited to kick off race weekend by celebrating the incredible food and wine that make Sonoma so special,” said Courtney Kiser, Director of Speedway Children’s Charities Sonoma. “We’re grateful to partner with those who share our deep commitment to helping vulnerable children lead safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives—no matter the challenges they face.”
Guests will indulge in an unforgettable culinary experience of exquisitely prepared dishes with wine pairings provided by Viansa Winery, Three Fat Guys Wines and Caymus Suisun. The evening will also feature an acoustic performance by country music artist Tim Dugger, a live charity auction and memorable surprises throughout, making it one of the most anticipated new events of the summer.
About Suburban Propane:
Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (“Suburban Propane”) is a publicly traded master limited partnership listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, Suburban Propane has been in the customer service business since 1928 and is a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas (“RNG”), fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and producer of and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, servicing the energy needs of approximately 1 million residential, commercial, governmental, industrial and agricultural customers through approximately 700 locations across 42 state.
NEWTON, Iowa (WISH) — The history-making continues for driver Myles Rowe. The 25-year-old was the first African-American to win an open-wheel championship, securing the USF Pro 2000 title in 2023. Now, he’s taken that success to the next level in the IndyCar ladder system — literally. Saturday, Rowe won his first INDY NXT race at […]
NEWTON, Iowa (WISH) — The history-making continues for driver Myles Rowe.
The 25-year-old was the first African-American to win an open-wheel championship, securing the USF Pro 2000 title in 2023. Now, he’s taken that success to the next level in the IndyCar ladder system — literally.
Saturday, Rowe won his first INDY NXT race at Iowa Speedway — making him the first black driver to win in IndyCar’s developmental series.
“It’s so good,” Rowe said. “We’ve been working a minute for this, and we knew we had the pace. It was about waiting for the last half of the race and seeing what we could do with it.”
Rowe passed rookie Dennis Hauger with 14 laps to go in the midst of lapped traffic to take the lead, and he never looked back. The Abel Motorsports with Force Indy driver took the checkered flag by a margin of 1.3927 seconds. Hauger, INDY NXT’s current points leader, finished second.
With the win, Rowe moves to fourth in the standings with five races remaining on the schedule.
“We don’t stop here — I’m looking for a lot more than this,” Rowe said. “But I’m glad we could get this (win), for sure.”
Rowe adds this to his already lengthy list of accomplishments. He won 11 races in the USF Championships series. He was also the first black driver to win an IndyCar-sanctioned race during his first season in the USF2000 series.
This is his second season in the INDY NXT series, where he’s racked up four podium finishes and, now, one win.
Shane van Gisbergen made his name racing in the Supercars Championship in Australia and New Zealand. However, he’s seen his star rise since coming to North America to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series. With two wins under his belt in 2025 and three overall in the Cup Series, van Gisbergen is locked into the […]
Shane van Gisbergen made his name racing in the Supercars Championship in Australia and New Zealand. However, he’s seen his star rise since coming to North America to drive in the NASCAR Cup Series.
With two wins under his belt in 2025 and three overall in the Cup Series, van Gisbergen is locked into the playoffs and ready to compete for a championship this season. After his latest win in Chicago, he joined Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, where he spoke with Kevin Harvick about some key challenges in the difference between NASCAR and Supercars.
“It’s probably more intense, because it’s every single week and the challenge is so different every week,” SVG told Harvick. “Like it’s not like you’re doing mile-and-a-halves each week, you’re doing a different style of racetrack every single week, and the preparation and stuff is so different. Also, instead of seeing two teammates’ data, I can see everyone’s data. So, it’s a lot more intense.
“On a road course, I hate it, because everyone can see my stuff and it’s all people seem to be talking about on the weekend. But especially when you go to a Pocono or a Martinsville, you study someone like Denny Hamlin, who’s amazing at those tracks, and the tendencies he has, or Chase Elliott at Martinsville. There’s some guys who really stand out. But when you go to like a Vegas or something, it could be anyone. You know, so there’s so much stuff you got to look at now.”
That’s an interesting tidbit shared by the New Zealander, and something that doesn’t come up immediately when thinking about differences between the two racing leagues. As for the car itself, SVG revealed that they’re similar on paper, but there are still some intricacies he had to adjust to.
“They’re similar on paper,” SVG added, regarding the cars. “But the way they drive, I think the lock-diff is the biggest difference. Having an open diff here makes a big difference. You know, you don’t have to — the technique was so unique in a supercar, with the heel and toe and running all the rear brake you could. It’s a bit opposite in this car. You run as much front as you can. People make a big deal out of the right-foot braking, but it really does nothing in this car.”
Alas, the NASCAR Cup Series is happy to have Shane van Gisbergen, as he’s certainly upped the intensity on road courses. He’ll have a shot at win No. 3 of the season this weekend in Sonoma, with another track-type in his wheelhouse taking center stage in California.
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