HAMPTON, Ga., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Speedway Motorsports and EchoPark Automotive introduced the new identity of Georgia’s only NASCAR track today; the iconic, 66-year-old facility in Hampton, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, is now EchoPark Speedway.

Through a new partnership, the speedway – which hosts two NASCAR Cup Series races annually, including the upcoming June 28 Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart – will carry the EchoPark brand for the duration of a seven-year, multi-million-dollar agreement.

Editor‘s Note: Supporting logos and b-roll available for download here.

Specializing in pre-owned vehicle sales, EchoPark Automotive is one of three operating segments of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company and one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in the United States. EchoPark Automotive operates 17 locations in 13 markets, including Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, where a majority of Atlanta NASCAR fans travel from each year to visit the historic speedway. From restart zone signage to fan zone activations and race entitlements, the pre-owned car dealership chain has leveraged resources across nine Speedway Motorsports facilities nationwide to activate its brand and reach race fans and potential new customers. Acquiring the naming rights to one of NASCAR’s most iconic tracks is the latest and biggest step in this strategy for EchoPark Automotive.

“We have enjoyed serving guests in the Atlanta metro area since EchoPark Atlanta opened its doors in 2020,” said David B. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Sonic Automotive. “This partnership allows us to share the value of the exceptional EchoPark car-buying experience with more guests in Atlanta and the surrounding area who enjoy the excitement of NASCAR racing at this iconic venue.”

EchoPark Automotive is seen as the number one pre-owned car buying experience, reflected in over 100,000 five-star reviews. Using this iconic sports venue, which is the largest in all of Georgia, will help EchoPark Automotive share the message of the brand to millions locally and nationally through major televised NASCAR events.

EchoPark Speedway’s entire 850-acre facility has undergone a massive facelift in preparation for its upcoming national debut as the opening race for the TNT portion of the NASCAR broadcast schedule and the kickoff event for the new in-season Cup Series tournament. Fans will see the new EchoPark Speedway’s signature green color and the new track logo across track walls, Victory Lane, and throughout the concourse when they attend the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart on Saturday night, June 28, or tune in nationally at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.

The winner of the race will also receive a “nearly new” EchoPark Chevy Silverado and a trailer equipped with an 85^th Anniversary, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Limited Edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle. These exclusive motorcycles can be pre-ordered now at SturgisHD.com, but the very first one of only 26 manufactured will go to the winner of the inaugural EchoPark Speedway race. This incredible prize will be presented to the winner in Victory Lane courtesy of EchoPark Automotive. 

“This is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible vehicles we sell at EchoPark and share the exposure with another important entity in our Sonic Automotive family,” said Jeff Dyke, President of Sonic Automotive. “The Sturgis Rally is right around the corner, and we know NASCAR fans and drivers will not only love the new presentation of this track, but also the opportunity to see this limited edition Harley-Davidson presented in Victory Lane.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with an innovative, customer-focused company like EchoPark Automotive as the entitlement partner of our newly named EchoPark Speedway,” said Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith. “EchoPark Automotive is as committed to exceptional customer service as we are, and we know that together we’ll elevate our fan experience to a new level unmatched for Southern hospitality. This partnership will fuel great experiences for fans attending our speedway for years to come.”

EchoPark Speedway has a storied history in NASCAR, hosting races every year since it opened as Atlanta International Raceway in 1960. The speedway hosted NASCAR’s season finale from 1987-2000, including the epic conclusion of the 1992 campaign which saw “The King,” Richard Petty, compete in his last NASCAR race; future legend Jeff Gordon make his first NASCAR Cup Series start; and Georgia’s own Bill Elliott win the race – narrowly losing the title to underdog owner-driver Alan Kulwicki.

Racing enthusiasts have long celebrated EchoPark Speedway’s high-speed, close-quarters racing action and exhilaratingly close finishes. Since its reconfiguration to a 28-degree banked, superspeedway-style track in 2021, that reputation has only been further bolstered. Three- and four-wide racing with abundant lead changes have become the norm when NASCAR visits Atlanta. In February 2024, EchoPark Speedway saw the closest three-wide finish in NASCAR history with race winner Daniel Suárez eclipsing Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch by just 0.003 and 0.007 seconds, respectively. Earlier this year, a new record was set for most lead changes at the speedway. This month’s Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart is expected to continue that trend of thrilling NASCAR action in Atlanta.

EchoPark Speedway will host two NASCAR national touring series during the spectacular June 26-28 summer event. Schedules, tickets, and camping for the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart weekend, can be found online at EchoParkSpeedway.com.

About Sonic Automotive:

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 300 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is on a quest to become the most valuable diversified automotive retail and service brand in America. Our Company culture thrives on creating, innovating, and providing industry-leading guest experiences, driven by strategic investments in technology, teammates, and ideas that ultimately fulfill ownership dreams, enrich lives, and deliver happiness to our guests and teammates. As one of the largest automotive and powersports retailers in America, we are committed to delivering on this goal while pursuing expansive growth and taking progressive measures to be the leader in these categories. Our new platforms, programs, and people are set to drive the next generation of automotive and powersports experiences. More information about Sonic Automotive can be found at sonicautomotive.com and ir.sonicautomotive.com.

SOURCE Speedway Motorsports

Fans have been getting to see plenty of Corey LaJoie over the last two weeks as an analyst for Prime Video’s NASCAR Cup coverage, but soon they’ll get to see the third-generation racer behind the wheel once again.

Starting with this weekend’s race at Michigan, LaJoie will drive for Spire Motorsports in nine NASCAR Truck Series, running a total of nine races this year. LaJoie previously competed with Spire full-time in the Cup Series between the 2021 and 2024 season.

LaJoie has also run three Cup races this year with Rick Ware Racing including the season-opening Daytona 500. And while he has 275 starts in the highest level of NASCAR, LaJoie has just five Truck Series starts throughout his entire career. He competed with Spire in the Truck Series for one race in 2024 and two in 2023. However, his best result came way back in 2014, finishing tenth at Bristol while driving for Ricky Benton.

In these upcoming Truck races with Spire, he will be piloting the No. 07 Chevrolet, which has already reached Victory Lane this year with Kyle Larson at Homestead.

Spire aiming for a Truck Series owner’s championship

Sammy Smith, Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: James Gilbert / Getty Images

After Michigan, LaJoie will drive the truck again at Richmond in August before running the final seven playoff races of the year as he tries to help the team win the 2025 owner’s championship.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the seat and chasing some NASCAR Truck Series wins,” said LaJoie. said LaJoie in a release from the team. “I put in a lot of work in the early days to help shape Spire Motorsports, and I still have some friends that have been there since day one, so it’ll be good to see them. The No. 07 team has been bringing some fast trucks to the track this year and are looking for a spot in the owner’s playoffs. It’ll be nice to have some consistency with the team to get acclimated to these vehicles, chase some wins and hopefully, a Truck Series owner’s championship.”

Explaining the decision to bring LaJoie in for the title fight, team co-owner Jeff Dickerson said: “While discussing our best path to bring Spire our first Truck Series Championship and describing what we needed in a driver, the driver we were all talking about without saying his name was Corey LaJoie.

“So, when I ran into Corey in the motorhome lot one morning earlier this spring, I asked him what he thought about coming home and doing this. He is synonymous with what we’ve built here over the last few years and deserves this opportunity. I’m looking forward to getting him in the truck at Michigan to work out some kinks and start getting a game plan together for the playoffs.”  

John Frech, Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., and Jeff Longhany led the list of Race 2 winners as the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Southeast Division completed a doubleheader event at South Georgia Motorsports Park.

Photos by Rhonda McCole and Kalyn Fox

The following are Sunday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at South Georgia Motorsports Park:

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

John Frech, Cortland, Ohio, ’88 dragster, F/D, 8.006, 164.45  def. Joel Warren, Clinton, N.C., ’08 G5, H/AA, 8.702, 157.50. 

SUPER STOCK

Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Donaldsonville, La., ’99 Firebird, SS/GA, 16.889, 70.08  def. Monty Bogan, Boiling Springs, S.C., ’92 Camaro, SS/BS, broke. 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Jeff Longhany, Wade, N.C., ’00 Corvette, B/SA, 11.248, 92.63  def. Steve Foley, Clinton, N.C., ’23 Copo Camaro, FS/D, broke. 

SUPER COMP

Hayden James, Cartersville, Ga., ’10 Miller, 8.950, 164.27  def. David Harris, York, S.C., ’07 Dragster, 8.926, 167.86. 

SUPER GAS

Sherman Adcock, Cataula, Ga., ’19 Corvette, 9.883, 169.06  def. David Griffith, Winter Garden, Fla., ’67 Camaro, foul. 

SUPER STREET

Dan Schreiber, Lakewood, Colo., ’67 Nova, 10.908, 134.27  def. Jimmy Daniel, Montgomery, Ala., ’63 Tempest, foul. 

TOP SPORTSMAN

Rick McDonough, Southwest Ranches, Fla., ’06 S10, 7.445, 173.27  def. James Hinkle, Danville, Ky., ’05 Grand Am, 7.390, 185.41. 

TOP DRAGSTER

Brooke Foley, Clinton, N.C., ’19 M&M, 7.618, 174.44  def. Kelsea Hinkle, Danville, Ky., ’11 Miller, 6.912, 190.19. 

SATURDAY

The following are Saturday’s final qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at South Georgia Motorsports Park:

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1) Steve Johnson, Spartanburg, S.C., ’85 Camaro, F/SM, 8.672 seconds, -0.628 (under index)
2) David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., ’32 Bantam, A/AA, 6.546, -0.604
3) Jared Kimbrough, Pace, Fla., ’09 Prostart, C/ED, 7.325, -0.585
4) John Frech, Cortland, Ohio, ’88 RED, F/D, 7.999, -0.561
5) Monty Bogan, Boiling Springs, S.C., ’07 G5, E/SMA, 8.421, -0.549
6) Wes Leopold, Bethel Park, Pa., ’05 Stratus, A/SMA, 8.073, -0.397
7) Joel Warren, Clinton, N.C., ’08 G5, H/AA, 8.895, -0.305
8) Keith Roberts, Wilmington, N.C., dragster, F/D, 23.401, 14.811

SUPER STOCK
1) Dennis Steward, Port Orange, Fla., ’90 Daytona, GT/KA, 9.922 seconds, -0.978 (under index)
2) Anthony Bongiovanni, Hopatcong, N.J., ’14 CJ, FSS/C, 8.707, -0.943
3) John Fogle, Norway, S.C., ’05 Cavalier, GT/HA, 9.558, -0.942
4) Ronnie Courtney, Johnston, S.C., ’05 Cavalier, GT/F, 9.181, -0.919
5) Michael Brand, Alpharetta, Ga., ’14 Cobrajet, FSS/C, 8.735, -0.915
6) Stephen Johnson, Gadsden, Ala., ’67 Fairlane, SS/D, 9.310, -0.890
7) Richard Bierie, Acworth, Ga., ’22 Copo, FSS/B, 8.313, -0.887
8) Jeff Adkinson, Damascus, Ga., ’13 Copo Camaro, FSS/F, 9.323, -0.877
9) Don Barber, Hohenwald, Tenn., ’96 Avenger, FGT/E, 9.144, -0.856
10) James Hill, Fayetteville, Ga., ’95 Cobra R, GT/LA, 10.197, -0.853

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Jimmy Hidalgo, Donaldsonville, La., ’04 GTO, E/SA, 10.626 seconds, -1.074 (under index)
2) Morgan Taylor, Simpsonville, S.C., ’70 Nova, D/SA, 10.501, -1.049
3) Thomas Mace, Jacksonville, Fla., ’90 Corvette, G/SA, 10.971, -1.029
4) Mike McMahan, Punta Gorda, Fla., ’89 Corvette, G/SA, 10.980, -1.020
5) Marion Stephenson, Williamsport, Ind., ’15 Copo, FS/D, 9.650, -0.950
6) Anthony Bongiovanni, Hopatcong, N.J., ’10 CJ, FS/A, 8.769, -0.931
7) John Duzac, Covington, La., ’70 Camaro, D/S, 10.587, -0.913
8) Victor Cagnazzi, Mooresville, N.C., ’23 Copo, FS/C, 9.419, -0.881
9) CJ McDonald, Carthage, N.C., ’83 Camaro Berline, I/SA, 11.420, -0.880
10) Anthony Hughes, McDonough, Ga., ’66 Nova, K/SA, 11.773, -0.877

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Douglas Crumlich, Douglasville, Ga., ’63 Corvette, 6.595 seconds, 211.69 mph
2) Paul (jackie) Robison, Greer, S.C., ’66 Nova, 6.705, 206.64
3) Bruce Duncan, Crawfordville, Fla., ’05 Colbart, 6.748, 208.65
4) Thomas Schmidt, Lakeland, Fla., ’10 GXP, 6.984, 200.11
5) John Gifford, Naples, Fla., ’10 Cobalt, 7.207, 195.96
6) James Hinkle, Danville, Ky., ’05 Grand Am, 7.255, 190.19
7) Mark Roberts, Orange Lake, Fla., ’63 Corvette, 7.348, 182.62
8) Jeremy Hancock, Commerce, Ga., ’63 Corvette, 7.352, 185.46
9) Frank Altilio, Longwood, Fla., ’02 S 10, 7.397, 185.08
10) Michael Scott, Lakeland, Fla., dragster, 7.408, 186.18

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., ’13 American, 6.125 seconds, 225.45 mph
2) Robert May, Kinsey, Ala., ’24 Nelson Racecra, 6.139, 225.26
3) Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., ’14 American, 6.141, 225.86
4) Vaughn Cauffield, Lake Placid, Fla., ’19 Maddox, 6.229, 229.12
5) Wayne Brooks, Monroe, Ga., ’19 Worthy, 6.269, 222.66
6) Matthew Buck, Lamtama, Fla., ’25 Miller, 6.274, 215.20
7) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 6.341, 223.32
8) John Platt, Cocoa, Fla., ’09 Tackash, 6.369, 211.86
9) Vance Houston, Newland, N.C., ’15 Race Tech, 6.459, 211.93
10) Jeremy Hancock, Commerce, Ga., ’19 M&M, 6.512, 205.07

RACE 1 RESULTS

The following are Friday’s final results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at South Georgia Motorsports Park:

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR

David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., ’32 Bantam, A/AA, 6.815, 167.22  def. Santo Volpe, Palm Bay, Fla., ’32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.852, 151.65. 

SUPER STOCK

Mike Crutchfield, Montgomery, Ala., ’08 G5, SS/DM, 9.086, 145.78  def. Michael Bryant, New Orleans, La., ’15 Camaro, SS/FA, 9.687, 138.48. 

STOCK ELIMINATOR

Terry Taylor, Lumberton, N.C., ’72 Corvette, G/SA, 11.350, 100.25  def. Jeff Longhany, Wade, N.C., ’00 Corvette, B/SA, foul. 

SUPER COMP

Chris Childress, Spartanburg, S.C., ’00 Horton, 8.862, 172.89  def. Allan Ackles, Bradenton, Fla., ’08 Mullis, 8.851, 179.68. 

SUPER GAS

Sherman Adcock, Cataula, Ga., ’19 Corvette, 9.843, 169.06  def. David Griffith, Winter Garden, Fla., ’67 Camaro, foul. 

SUPER STREET

Kevin MacNicol, North Port, Fla., ’69 Firebird, 10.873, 132.97  def. Jacob Rutledge, Powder Springs, Ga., ’79 Capri, 10.868, 130.38. 

TOP SPORTSMAN

Bruce Thaxton, Butler, Ga., ’03 Mustang, 7.480, 181.20  def. Jackie Robison, Greer, S.C., ’66 Nova, 6.732, 200.44. 

TOP DRAGSTER

Kelsea Hinkle, Danville, Ky., ’11 Miller, 6.967, 184.67  def. George Ebel, Naples, Fla., ’19 Dragster, 7.228, 182.77. 

The following are Friday’s final qualifying results from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division event at South Georgia Motorsports Park:

COMPETITION ELIMINATOR
1) Wes Leopold, Bethel Park, Pa., ’05 Stratus, A/SMA, 7.884 seconds, -0.586 (under index)
2) Steve Johnson, Spartanburg, S.C., ’85 Camaro, F/SM, 8.755, -0.545
3) Santo Volpe, Palm Bay, Fla., ’32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.349, -0.521
4) Monty Bogan, Boiling Springs, S.C., ’07 G5, E/SMA, 8.499, -0.471
5) Joel Warren, Clinton, N.C., ’08 G5, H/AA, 8.749, -0.451
6) Jared Kimbrough, Pace, Fla., ’09 Prostart, C/ED, 7.500, -0.410
7) John Frech, Cortland, Ohio, ’88 RED, F/D, 9.239, 0.679
8) David Eaton, Merritt Island, Fla., ’32 Bantam, A/AA, 11.815, 4.665

SUPER STOCK
1) John Fogle, Norway, S.C., ’05 Cavalier, GT/HA, 9.569 seconds, -0.931 (under index)
2) Jeff Adkinson, Damascus, Ga., ’13 Copo Camaro, FSS/F, 9.338, -0.862
3) Don Barber, Hohenwald, Tenn., ’96 Avenger, FGT/E, 9.171, -0.829
4) Stephen Johnson, Gadsden, Ala., ’67 Fairlane, SS/D, 9.383, -0.817
5) Marion Stephenson, Williamsport, Ind., ’06 Cobalt, GT/GA, 9.584, -0.816
6) Dennis Steward, Port Orange, Fla., ’90 Daytona, GT/KA, 10.101, -0.799
7) Richard Bierie, Acworth, Ga., ’22 Copo, FSS/B, 8.408, -0.792
8) Victor Cagnazzi, Mooresville, N.C., ’18 Copo, FSS/F, 9.413, -0.787
9) Ronnie Dutton, Southside, Ala., ’80 Monza, GT/QA, 10.973, -0.777
10) Robert Cameron, Porter, Texas, ’96 Firebird, SS/JA, 10.225, -0.775

STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Jimmy Hidalgo, Donaldsonville, La., ’04 GTO, F/SA, 10.837 seconds, -1.013 (under index)
2) Mike McMahan, Punta Gorda, Fla., ’89 Corvette, G/SA, 10.997, -1.003
3) Marion Stephenson, Williamsport, Ind., ’15 Copo, FS/D, 9.625, -0.975
4) Kevin Loehle, Brightwaters, N.Y., ’15 Copo, FS/D, 9.635, -0.965
5) Anthony Bongiovanni, Hopatcong, N.J., ’10 CJ, FS/A, 8.757, -0.943
6) John Duzac, Covington, La., ’70 Camaro, D/S, 10.568, -0.932
7) James Schaechter, Cumming, Ga., ’65 Nova, H/S, 11.071, -0.929
8) Anthony Hughes, McDonough, Ga., ’66 Nova, K/SA, 11.769, -0.881
9) Victor Cagnazzi, Mooresville, N.C., ’23 Copo, FS/C, 9.438, -0.862
10) Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., ’23 Copo, FS/C, 9.473, -0.827

TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Douglas Crumlich, Douglasville, Ga., ’63 Corvette, 6.624 seconds, 210.41 mph
2) Jackie Robison, Greer, S.C., ’66 Nova, 6.718, 205.04
3) Bruce Duncan, Crawfordville, Fla., ’05 Colbart, 6.744, 207.69
4) Thomas Schmidt, Lakeland, Fla., ’10 GXP, 7.075, 197.68
5) John Gifford, Naples, Fla., ’10 Cobalt, 7.373, 184.83
6) Frank Altilio, Longwood, Fla., ’02 S 10, 7.455, 182.28
7) Bruce Thaxton, Butler, Ga., ’03 Mustang, 7.467, 181.59
8) Michael Scott, Lakeland, Fla., dragster, 7.469, 184.70
9) Kendall Barnes, Brunswick, Ga., ’05 Grand Am, 7.493, 183.67
10) Mark Roberts, Orange Lake, Fla., ’63 Corvette, 7.493, 179.71

TOP DRAGSTER
1) Robert May, Kinsey, Ala., ’24 Nelson Racecraft, 6.206 seconds, 224.47 mph
2) Jeff Strickland, Red Bay, Ala., ’14 American, 6.235, 222.84
3) Wayne Brooks, Monroe, Ga., ’19 Worthy, 6.290, 222.77
4) Matthew Buck, Lamtama, Fla., ’25 Miller, 6.325, 210.14
5) Casey Spradlin, Ranburne, Ala., dragster, 6.374, 222.69
6) John Platt, Cocoa, Fla., ’09 Tackash, 6.405, 209.75
7) Vance Houston, Newland, N.C., ’15 Race Tech, 6.542, 209.75
8) Steve Furr, Harrisburg, N.C., ’13 American, 6.597, 219.47
9) Darryl Childress, Spartanburg, S.C., ’25 Maddox, 6.644, 199.32
10) Tisha Wilson, Salisbury, N.C., ’25 Racetech, 6.696, 198.70

The NASCAR standings and Cup points have been updated after the drivers competed in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Ryan Blaney won the race that kicked off the month of June.

There are now just 12 races remaining in the regular season, which means drivers who are below the playoff cut line need to win soon. Here’s a look at the NASCAR standings and Cup points after the Nashville race.

Updated NASCAR playoff standings after Nashville

Balney becomes the ninth driver to qualify for the playoffs. This means that more than half of the playoff field is set with 12 races remaining in the regular season.

Kyle Larson still leads the playoff field with William Byron right behind him. Chase Elliott remains the top driver that has yet to win a race this year.

Updated Cup points after Nashville

Byron remains on top and is the only driver to have over 500 points. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are two of three drivers (with Byron being the other) who have at least 450 points.

With Bubba Wallace earning a P6 finish at Nashville, he moves up to 10th place. He’s one point ahead of Chase Briscoe and 34 points behind Chastain.

The Super DIRTcar Series has a double-header planned this week, racing the Anthracite Assault on June 3 at Big Diamond Speedway and then racing the Snyder County Showdown June 4 at Selinsgrove Speedway.

Tuesday’s race at Big Diamond will offer $7,500-to-win after 75-laps of work.

Wednesday is the SDS series debut at Selinsgrove; the event is a Billy Whittaker Cars 200 qualifier, with the 75-lap feature paying $10,000 to win.

There are some milestones on the table for the two Super DIRTcar Series stars.

Matt Sheppard is one win away from No. 100; he logged win No. 99 in the Natural 77 at Thunder Mountain Speedway last week. He would be the second driver to reach the 100-win plateau. Brett Hearn is the only other driver north of 100 — with 141 wins — having delivered his final SDS win at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in November 2021.

Sheppard is in rare company, having won at both tracks in the past. Sheppard has four Big Diamond wins, taking the Anthracite Assault in 2019 and 2022. He also won at Selinsgrove, taking a Race of Champions Modified Tour victory back in 2010.

Stewart Friesen is chasing SDS career win No. 50. Thus far, Friesen has 49 wins, with his most recent being posted at the Heroes Remembered 100 at Weedsport Speedway during Memorial Day Weekend. He is sixth overall in the career win list, sandwiched between Alan Johnson (57 wins) and Bob McCreadie (39 wins). Only five others have cleared 50 career wins, including Hearn, Sheppard, Danny Johnson (89), Billy Decker (70) and Alan Johnson.

Friesen has won twice at Big Diamond, including the Anthracite Assault last year, passing Anthony Perrego for the win.

Having just recently inked a deal to follow the series full time, points leader Alex Yankowski is no stranger to Big Diamond. Yankowski leads Mat Williamson by 3 markers, having one win this year. Alex Payne rides third, 10 points behind. Yankowski won the Coalcracker and Money in the Mountains races at Big Diamond in 2021, and has Big Diamond victories in 2020, as well.

Payne was banged up in a hard crash at Land of Legends Raceway, in the same area Gil Tegg Jr. crashed a few weeks back. Erick Rudolph is fourth, 24 points behind, and Justin Haers rides fifth, 26-points behind.

Rudolph has a win at Big Diamond, taking a win in 2015 while adding four top fives and seven top 10s. He has also tried his hand at Selinsgrove once, racing to 12th in 2021 during a Short Track Super Series event.

Matt Williamson has never won at either track in his storied career; he ranked fourth at Selinsgrove in 2021 and compiled three top fives — including a fourth in last year’s Anthracite Assault — and four top 10s in five Big Diamond starts.

For a full schedule, visit www.SuperDIRTcarSeries.com.

TOURING SERIES

Nick Sheridan won his first Empire Super Sprints event, winning at Ohsweken Speedway May 30. Sheridan won from the pole, leading Jordan Poirier at the line with Dylan Swiernik, Dylan Westbrook and Darren Dryden filling the top five.

Poirier did one better Saturday at Brighton Speedway, topping Logan Crisafulli and Alex Therrien in the second feature of the weekend.

The series will next race at Freedom Motorsports Park, visiting Delevan, NY on June 7. The feature pays $4,000-to-win. Visit EmpireSuperSprints.com for more.

AREA RESULTS SATURDAY

Matt Sheppard won his 94th career Modified feature at Land of Legends Raceway Saturday night. Sheppard topped Mat Williamson and Dalton Slack for the win; Justin Haers and Erick Rudolph were next.

The win ties Sheppard for third all-time with Steve Paine, who last won at Canandaigua in September 2018. Now, ahead of Sheppard is only Bob McCreadie (99 wins) and all-time win leader Alan Johnson. Johnson has 129 victories at the Ontario County oval; Johnson’s first win was in May 1976 while his last was posted in August 2024.

Fulton Speedway, Thunder Mountain Speedway and Oswego Speedway rained out.

Oswego will move its opening to June 14 with Supermodifieds, Small Block Supers and Super Stocks. The oval is not open on June 7, remaining dark in support of the ISMA/MSS Supermodified race at the Lancaster Motorplex.

FRIDAY

Amy Holland logged a popular win Friday night at Brewerton Speedway. It was her third modified win overall, with prior wins coming on Championship Night in August 2024 and July 2023 — her first.

Holland was stalking leader Todd Root and Max Hill, moving to second on lap 25. Root had passed Hill for the top spot on lap 21. Holland worked traffic well while chasing the leader, and made a bid for the lead exiting the second corner. The car stuck, and she moved to the point, and didn’t look back. Root, Max Hill, Tim Sears Jr., Chad Phelps finished second through fifth.

Jason Parkhurst won the DIRTcar Sportsman 25-lap feature over Cody Manitta and Tyler Corcoran; Nick Ventura and Hunter Hollenbeck were fourth and fifth. Joe Isabell won the Mod Lite feature over Doug Williams; after 20 laps of work Joseph Garafolo was third ahead of Jacob Dupra and PO Trudeau. Chris Bonoffski won the 15-lap four-cylinder super stock feature and John Pietrowicz took the 15-lap Hobby Stock main from the pole.

At Can-Am Speedway, the Summer Starter event went Lance Willix’ way. Willix started seventh in the 25-lap main and charged to the win over Billy Dunn and Tyler Meeks. Derek Webb and Remington Ham filled the top five. Mike Fowler won the DIRTcar Sportsman feature, topping Frank Sibley and Ryan Shanahan after 20 laps of work. Tyler Stevenson and Josh Reome earned top fives. Jon Liberty won the 20-lap 602 Sprint Car feature. Michael Greenfield (Thundercars) and Eymarah Bowman (Limited Sportsman) earned class wins.

Michael Maresca won his first Outlaw Speedway feature of the year Friday night. Jeff Daugherty was chasing at the end of the 30-lap feature; Tommy Collins, Danny Johnson and Steve Paine filled the top five. Chris Fisher earned his first win of the year, taking the 25-lap Sportsman feature over Karl Comfort and AJ Lloyd. Donnie Lawson and Brent Ayers earned top fives. Glenn Whritenour tallied his third win in the Street Stocks, taking the 20-lap victory over Jimmy Grant and Gene Sharpsteen. Willy Easling and Tony Harris earned fourth and fifth. Marc Minutolo won the 20-lap Hobby Stock feature, topping Daniel Kerrick, Jesse Ballance, Jared Hill and Nate Peckham. Jayson Smart posted his second win of the year in the 20-lap Four-Cylinder main; Michael Dickerson, Scott Lehman, Mike Stone and Zach Daugherty logged top fives. Kolston DeCamp won his second youth four-cylinder feature.

Matt Sheppard started his weekend in style, taking a feature win at Utica-Rome Speedway. The feature was briefly delayed by a rain shower, but the track was preserved and racing resumed. When the green flag was unfurled, Sheppard and Rocky Warner were battling at the head of the pack. Sheppard used a slower car to his advantage, roaring clear of Warner and checking out. A final green-white-checker finish added some drama to the end, but Sheppard stood tall with a gap over Warner. Matt Janczuk slipped past Danny Varin for third; Anthony Perrego was fifth.

Chris Marquart’s “Motorsports” appears each Tuesday during racing season. Contact Chris at 315-729-3999 or smashedempirefilms@gmail.com.

This year’s Silly Season in NASCAR is shaping up to be a bit more tame than year’s past. Still, there’s a couple of key dominoes waiting to fall, and it all begins with Trackhouse Racing.

Their dilemma? What does the future hold for wunderkind Connor Zilisch. Examining where everything stands at the moment, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic broke down whether we could see the 18-year old in the Cup Series as soon as 2026.

“The Justin Marks-owned team has four drivers under contract and only three spots on its Cup roster — one of which is taken, with Ross Chastain still under contract for multiple years and delivering exceptional performance,” Bianchi prefaced. “Jockeying for the other rides are Daniel Suárez, Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch. The former two are currently teammates with Chastain in the Cup Series, while the latter is a promising rookie in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series.

“Both van Gisbergen and Zilisch have terms remaining on their respective contracts, with Suárez’s contract up at the end of the season. And, it may come down to just this factor — letting pending free agent Suárez, who sits 30th in points, walk to promote Zilisch.”

While that seems like the likeliest scenario, there’s a caveat — Suárez is well-liked within Trackhouse, and he also has been with the team since the start. The Monterrey, Mexico native brings sponsorship, and he’s certainly more proven than van Gisbergen and even Zilisch. Still, their potential might be too much to pass on.

“We’ll see what his future holds, but right now we have a mechanism in the company to put that extra car out,” Marks said, regarding Zilisch running some Cup races in 2025. “We just want him to get that experience. No expectations for results or anything like that.

“We have the opportunity to give him the learning experience, and we’ll continue to do that. The Cup Series is a different sport than the Xfinity Series. It is just so, so difficult. The only way to learn is to go out there and do it.”

If Trackhouse decides to keep Zilisch in Xfinity, they can effectively postpone any major decision for another year: “This pathway would enable Suárez to retain his ride while also providing Marks with a larger sample size to assess whether van Gisbergen can adapt to ovals,” Bianchi wrote. “Then, next year, Trackhouse could decide on whether to retain Suárez or van Gisbergen.”

All told, Justin Marks told The Athletic that no decisions have been made about Trackhouse’s 2026 roster, “and the team hasn’t even started contemplating it.” With an influx of road courses on the horizon, Shane van Gisbergen will have a chance to make his case. Daniel Suárez too. But Connor Zilisch is certainly lurking at the moment.