ATV Club says “Thanks”

The Keweenaw ATV Club held their annual membership drive/ picnic on June 28-2025. We had a great turn out again. We would like to give a huge Thank You to all the businesses that donated: Bear Belly resort, Mariner North, Fanny Hoe Resort, The Jenny-Gas Lite Store, Richman Pottery, Fitzgeralds , Phoenix Store, Brickside Brewery, Lake Effect Bar, Keweenaw Adventure Company, Delaware Mine, Minnetonka Resort, Laughing Loon, Jamsens Bakery, Fisherman’s daughter, Keweenaw Agate Shop, Grandpas Barn, Harbor House Rest, Auto Value Calumet, Keweenaw Gas Co-op, Buckos, M&M Motorsports, Peninsular Auto, Darnell construction, Keweenaw Auto Body, Trailside Lodge-Copper Country Rentals, L&L Bar, Harters Car Quest, Harters Party Store, Calumet Electronics, Northern Cuts, National Guard, J.Ps Fast Track, Millers, Eva’s, Miners Cafe, North Star BP, Laurium convenience, Aspirus, Drift Inn, Sundae in the Park, Mohawk Superette, Koppers, Loading Zone, Torch Lake Service, Dreamland Rest. U>P Foods, Jam Service, Post 90. Northland, Partanen’s Bar, Quincey’s Rest. Dollar Bay Tile, Petersons Fish Market, Gino’s Rest. McGann’s, Fine Line tire, O’Reilly’s, Houghton Powersports, Swift Hardware, Surplus outlet, Keweenaw Chevy, Sayen’s, Tractor Supply, Advance Auto, Auto Zone, Remy, Pisani, Portage Tire, Holiday Inn, Rock House, Superior Oil, Joeys Rest, Papa Murphy’s, 41 Lumber, Joanne Hannula, Pats Iga Calumet, Ahmeek Fire dept. If we forgot any one, We apologize. Thank you.

We would also like to say thank you to all the volunteers who assisted us in planning the picnic, collecting the donations, and helped with set up and clean up. With out the support of our loyal members, hard working volunteers and our generous community we wouldn’t be able to maintain our ATV trails.

With deep appreciation Katv Club Officer: Daryl St. John, Kitty Beleck, Julie Karvonen, Jim Dube, Mike McMahan

Kitty Beleck

Keweenaw ATV Club

Penske IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin will race a Chevrolet Corvette at Suzuka next month to tick off what he is calling a “bucket list” ambition.

The New Zealander will drive a Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the Malaysian Johore Motorsports Racing team in the Suzuka 1000Km round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge on 14 September to fulfil his dream.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the JMR team heading to Suzuka for the 1000Km,” said McLaughlin, who races a Chevrolet-powered Dallara DW12 for Team Penske in the IndyCar Series.

“I’ve always wanted to race Suzuka, and it’s a bucket list track for me.”

McLaughlin will share the JMR Pro class entry with Chevrolet factory drivers Alexander Sims and Nicky Catsburg, who he described as his “General Motors friends” and “two amazing Corvette racers”.

Suzuka, round four of a series that incorporates the 24-hour classics at Spa and the Nurburgring, will be McLaughlin’s second race appearance at the wheel of Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

#91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ben Keating, Connor Zilisch, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen

Photo by: Courtesy of IMSA

He drove one of Pratt & Miller-developed racers at the Daytona 24 Hours in January, the opening round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, fielded by NASCAR Cup entrant Trackhouse Racing and run by TF Sport.

McLaughlin’s CV has encompassed sportscar appearances in LMP2 in IMSA since he switched to IndyCars from the V8 Supercars Series in Australia at the end of 2020.

He won LMP2 and finished third overall at the 2023 Sebring 12 Hours driving a Tower Motorsports ORECA-Gibson 07.

His sportscar credits also include a victory at the Bathurst 12 Hours at the wheel of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in 2016.

JMR, a regular in the GT World Challenge Asia, will field a pair of Corvettes at the Suzuka IGTC fixture.

A car is being fielded in Pro-Am for Malaysian princes Jefri Ibrahim and Abu Bakar Ibrahim, who will share with Finn GT specialist Konsta Lappalainen.

The IGTC is returning to Suzuka this year for the first time since 2019 after which the fixture fell victim to the COVID pandemic.

In its previous two editions, 2018 and ’19, the Suzuka round was a 10-hour race but this year the late summer endurance fixture dating back to 1966 is returning to its traditional 1000km format.

The maximum duration of the race has been extended from six to six-and-a-half hours in an attempt to ensure the full distance is achieved. A 30-car entry has been received for the event.

The Chinese Phantom Global Racing Porsche is reviving the ‘pink pig’ livery for Suzuka.

Its Porsche 911 GT3-R shared by factory drivers Klaus Bachler and Patric Niederhauser, along with Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific-contracted Dorian Boccolacci, will race in the colours first seen on a 917/20 at the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hours.

The factory revived a livery that features the names in German of the different butcher’s cuts of pork for one of the four entries that made up its 2018 Le Mans GTE Pro assault.

Phantom Global Racing Porsche livery

Photo by: Porsche

Derrick Patton wins four races in one weekend to lead the DragChamp Top 10 List, presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance

08/13/25 – We’ve accumulated the best performers from the past week for the Top 10 List presented by Laris Motorsports Insurance. Read below to see how they ranked.

Racecar insurance is more affordable than you think! Laris Motorsports Insurance policies are handled in house so they can provide quotes within minutes and they offer the broadest coverage available. Call (985) 746-4663 today to learn how Laris Motorsports Insurance can protect your racing operation both on and off the track! If you’re a business owner, Laris also offers commercial insurance. Protect your business with a trusted name.

Want to check out previous Top 10 Lists, click here.

DragChamp Top 10 List

1 – Derrick Patton

Derrick Patton takes the #1 spot after running the table at the Redemption Series race at Evadale Raceway in Southeast Texas. Patton went undefeated on the weekend winning four times and taking home over $15,000 in two days. Derrick won the 7.50 Index class Jackpot and $10K main event along with winning the 7.0 Index class on Friday and Saturday.

2 – Rich Coury

Rich Coury jumps to the #2 spot after winning $10K’s on back-to-back days at Quaker City. Coury took home the big check in Saturday and Sunday’s main events to earn a Top 10 spot.

3 – TB Race Winners

TB Promotions ventured to Virginia Motorsports Park last weekend for the Twin 50’s. Jayden Lawler opened the weekend with a victory in the American Race Cars dragster race. Chad Traylor followed with a $50,000 victory on Friday in Anthony Bertozzi’s dragster. Richard Alford won Saturday’s $50K after swapping cars mid-race and winning a coin flip over Michael Paschal when they hit the curfew. Paschal made plenty of noise after taking two entries to three cars. In the semifinals, Michael dropped an entry to Alford and then lost the coin flip to determine the event winner.

4 – Zack Gosnell

Zack Gosnell doubled up at Bunker Hill’s Summer Sizzle winning Friday’s $2,000 Gamblers race and Saturday’s $5,000 main event. In his last four races, Gosnell has won three times in four finals.

5 – Justin Lamb

Justin Lamb continues to shine on the West Coast class racing scene. Driving a borrowed car, Lamb raced to his third NHRA victory in the last four weeks at the D6 LODRS race last weekend.

6 – Brandon Michaels

Brandon Michaels won for the third straight week to take the sixth spot. His latest triumph included a $10,000 victory at Maryland International Raceway this past weekend.

7 – Ryan Warter

Ryan Warter takes the lucky #7 spot this week after doubling up at the NHRA D6 LODRS event at Pacific Raceways. Warter drove his Firebird to the Stock Eliminator winners circle in race one of the doubleheader and followed with a Comp Eliminator victory in race two.

8 – Mike Fornwalt

Mike Fornwalt has dominated the Pro class at Numidia recently and this past weekend was no exception. Fornwalt was runner-up in the rain-delayed race from earlier in the season and won Saturday’s race.

8 – Carson Brown

Carson Brown earned a Top 10 spot after making two finals at London Dragway last Saturday. Brown won the Super Pro class and just missed the double with a runner-up in the 4.50 Index class.

9 – Jordan Johnson

Jordan Johnson continues to shine at Music City Raceway. In the last five weeks, Jordan has been in 9 finals with 7 wins and 2 runner-ups!

10 – Brian Jennen

Brian Jennen lands in the 10 spot after racing to six straight Pro ET wins at two different racetracks in the Northwest. Competing at Walla Walla and Qlipse Raceway, Jennen won 30+ rounds in a row before finally losing in round 2 on Sunday. He did take home the win on Saturday for his sixth straight victory.

10 – Carlee Reber

18 year old Carlee Reber closes out the Top 10 List this week after winning four straight races at Grove Creek!

Let us know what you think about the DragChamp Top 10 List. We want to hear from you. Check us out on Facebook and share it with your friends.

And remember, look for our DragChamp Top 10 List nominations Facebook post every Monday evening. You can nominate your favorites in the comments of the post for consideration on the list.

DragChamp is your online source for sportsman drag race results, news, and updates.

Big Game Motorsports rebounded in a big way last weekend during the 64th annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s.

David Gravel opened the team’s preliminary night at Knoxville Raceway by qualifying fourth quickest despite a high pill draw that sent him out near the back of the 51-car field on Wednesday. Unfortunately, an opening-lap crash in the heat race resulted in a DNF. Gravel won the C Main and hustled from 21st to eighth in the B Main.

The crew repaired the race car for Friday’s Hard Knox Night and Gravel capitalized. He was second quickest in his group’s qualifying session before winning both the heat race and the main event from the fourth starting position.

“We’ve had a hot rod all year long,” Gravel said in a post-race interview on DIRTVision. “No matter what night it is, we’re passing cars. Just sometimes we get in wrecks or blow tires and drive straight in the wall. Thank you to my guys – Cody (Jacobs), Zach (Patterson), Pete (Stephens) and Scott (Vogelsong). This is the same race car we flipped on Wednesday. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough.”

The triumphant performance locked the team into the 21st starting position for Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals finale. Just like two years ago when Gravel charged from 22nd to second, the team was on a mission.

Gravel was running 20th on Lap 14 before he began to charge forward. He was up to 13th when the mid-point caution occurred on Lap 27. Once the race restarted, Gravel cracked the top 10 on Lap 28. He drove into the top five on Lap 45 and a late-race caution bunched the field together. Gravel made the most of it, getting two more positions, including a last-lap pass to score the third-place result. It marked his fourth career podium during the Knoxville Nationals, including for the third time in the last four years. Gravel also earned the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars.

“We had a really good car,” he said in a post-race interview on DIRTVision. “The second half of those runs our car was unbelievable. I just want to say congratulations to Ryan Timms. This race is not easy to win. To put together your prelim night and then put together 50 laps that is not easy to do with the best in the business behind you.

“What a run for us. Super proud of our team not giving up and proved we can pass race cars year in and year out. Man, wish we could’ve started a couple rows farther up. Felt like we were so good at the end.”

The team returns to World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series points racing this Friday at Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, Minn., during the Big O Showdown and Saturday at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., during the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars presented by FENDT.

Gravel holds a 172-point lead in the championship standings entering the weekend.

QUICK RESULTS –

Aug. 6 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: DNF (8); C Main: 1 (1); B Main: 8 (21).

Aug. 8 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: 1 (4); Feature: 1 (4).

Aug. 9 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Feature: 3 (21).

SEASON STATS –

52 races, 12 wins, 42 top fives, 48 top 10s, 48 top 15s, 48 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday at Ogilvie Raceway in Ogilvie, Minn., for the Big O Showdown and Saturday at Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn., for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars presented by FENDT with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series

ILP PR

One of the most promising young stars in recent NASCAR memory, 19-year-old Connor Zilisch’s eye-catching performances in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series have led to a renewed call for the new Cadillac Formula 1 team to call up the young American when they make their debut in 2026.

Zilisch, who recently suffered a broken collarbone whilst celebrating his latest victory, causing him to withdraw from the Cup Series race, has longstanding ties with racing in Europe, having competed there during his karting days, even winning the 2020 FIA Karting Academy Trophy, following in the footsteps of a certain Charles Leclerc.

Now on the precipice of winning the Xfinity Series regular season at his first attempt with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports, having won six times this season, with four coming in his last five races, former IndyCar star and current F1 TV analyst James Hinchcliffe has suggested it may be time for Cadillac to give Zilisch a shot.

The Canadian, who won on six occasions during his IndyCar career, praised Zilisch for adapting to oval racing, with his background being road courses as he placed him on a five-man shortlist of potential targets. 

“Incredibly impressive that he is now competitive on the types of track that a lot of the drivers he’s racing against trained on exclusively on their rise to this level,” he said, via Formula1.com.

“And that’s really my point on Zilisch – he seems to be one of the most adaptable drivers that I’ve ever seen. Watching what he’s done so far gives me the feeling that if he was given a proper programme in an open wheel car, and a season or two of F2 to cut his teeth, he could be F1-worthy in short order. And he has the time, because despite the impressive CV he is still only 19 years old.”

Zilisch has previously admitted to having ‘dreamed’ about a future in F1. What’s more, he also appears to harbor a similar mindset to fellow Red Bull athlete Max Verstappen, with regard to a desire to try his hand at multiple racing series as his career progresses, rather than setting records in one.

“[F1 is] always in the back of my mind,” Zilisch said on the Stacking Pennies Podcast. “Growing up it was my dream, I wanted to race F1. I went to Europe when I was a kid racing go-karts, it’s what I wanted to do. It’s just when I was younger, I didn’t really have the chance.

“Now with an American team being brought to F1, having connections with Red Bull and being kinda tied in there, I’d say the chances aren’t zero.”

However, a switch from NASCAR to F1 wouldn’t be as simple as merely moving to Europe and stepping into the cockpit. First, he’d need to amass enough FIA Super License points, which would be tough to do in NASCAR given that winning the Cup Series only grants the driver 15 points, with 12 for second and 10 for third. To be granted a Super License and thus become eligible to race in F1, a driver needs a total of 40 points.

“If it were to happen, I’d have to go over there for at least a year, two years probably to even get enough Super Licence points to qualify,” Zilisch added. “I’d run F3… I’d just run a bunch of ‘BS’ series to get Super Licence points. Middle East F3, random things that you can do to get the points.

“That’s why it would be such a big commitment. I’d want to get settled in here first and know that if I go over there for two years I could come back and still have a job.”

While a future in F1 appears to be little more than a dream at this point in time for Zilisch, his NASCAR outlook is bright, with a Cup Series seat at Trackhouse Racing expected to be awaiting him next season once Daniel Suarez has departed. 

Now on the road to recovery after his NASCAR Xfinity Series victory celebrations took a bizarre and painful turn, 19-year-old Connor Zilisch has opened up on exactly what happened at Watkins Glen.

After beating JR Motorsports teammate and road course maestro Shane van Gisbergen to the win in the Mission 200 At The Glen on Saturday, with the two clashing on track with just 18 laps to go in a battle for the lead, Zilisch made his way to victory lane, stepping out of his No. 88 Chevrolet to begin his celebrations atop his car.

With his right foot on the roof and the left precariously on top of the window netting, which rested on the edge of his door, Zilisch began cheering in celebration of his sixth win of the season when his left foot slipped, sending his leg down inside the car as he spun headfirst onto the floor. 

“The last thing I remember, I was split on the door. So I had one leg in the car, one leg out the car,” Zilisch explained on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. “And the last thing I remember is thinking, I don’t know why, but I thought I was going to break my femur. Like my leg was stuck.”

Zilisch suffered a broken collarbone, which ultimately ruled him out of the following day’s Cup Series race, for which he had qualified 25th. When he eventually came to, already on a stretcher and having been “talking gibberish,” Zilisch said he supposedly “was talking to the medics, and I was like, ‘I’m good. I’m good. Like I’m, my shoulder hurts a little bit, but that’s it. Like I’m fine.’

“And they’re like, ‘No, we’re putting you on the stretcher.’ I’m in this neck brace, and I’m walking, I’m getting pulled away on the stretcher, and apparently, the first words that came out of my mouth that were legitimate were, ‘God, everyone’s going to think I’m a p—-y.’ Cause I was like, ‘Why am I on a stretcher right now? I feel fine.’ I didn’t realize what had happened.”

Now in a sling and waiting to find out if he’ll need to undergo surgery, Zilisch seemed relatively unconcerned about his recovery timeline, having heard from van Gisbergen about his own experience racing after breaking a collarbone.

“I broke my collarbone in 2021, left side, mine was a bit out by the AC,” he told reporters. “I did a bit more damage to my shoulder, and then I also had a fake ligament put in. I had a weekend off and then I raced the next week — pretty much what [Zilisch] is going to go through. 

“Once the plate is in there, it’s stronger than the bone was. I’d get a plate put in and then take it out at the end of the year. It is obviously going to be in pain.

“My biggest problem was the tightening of the belts. I could really feel the plate through my skin, and it was a horrible feeling. But I raced the next week and did pretty well. So, with some good doctors and some good drugs, he’ll get through the race fine.”

Thankfully for Zilisch, the Xfinity Series isn’t scheduled to return to the track until August 22 for the Wawa 250 at Daytona.