For the second time this month, the NASCAR Cup Series competes at a short track.

The series was at Iowa Speedway two weeks ago and now heads to Richmond Raceway for Saturday night’s event (coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on USA Network).

Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup drivers and teams heading into Richmond.

23XI Racing — Good news: Watkins Glen represented the third time this season the organization had two cars finish in the top 10 with Bubba Wallace eighth and Tyler Reddick ninth. … Wallace has scored four top 10s in a row, tied for the longest streak in his Cup career. … Wallace finished fourth at Richmond last August, his best finish at the track. … Both of Reddick’s top 10s at Richmond came in the last two races there. … Reddick was third at Richmond last August. … Corey Heim, the regular season champion in the Truck Series, is back in the No. 67 this weekend, making his third Cup start of the year. Bad news: Riley Herbst was 33rd at Richmond last August in his only Cup start there.

Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Noah Gragson will make his 100th career Cup start Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Todd Gilliland has not placed better than 15th in six Richmond starts. … Zane Smith has not placed better than 16th in 11 career Cup short track starts.

Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer has qualified in the top 12 in three of his six Cup starts at Richmond. Bad News: Custer’s 34th-place finish at Watkins Glen was his worst result since Michigan in June.

Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: William Byron extended his lead to 42 points on Chase Elliott with his fourth-place result at Watkins Glen. … Byron has scored back-to-back top-five finishes. … Elliott has four top-five finishes in the last eight Richmond races. … Elliott has placed in the top 10 in eight of the last 10 short track races and that doesn’t include his victory in the Clash exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium this year. … Alex Bowman’s average finish of 9.3 over the last nine races is the best among full-time drivers. … Bowman will make his 350th career Cup start Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Chase Elliott’s 26th-place finish last weekend at Watkins Glen marked the first time this season he’s placed outside the top 20. … Kyle Larson’s average finish in the last 12 races is 19.25 — his worst over any 12-race span since joining Hendrick Motorsports ahead of the 2021 season.

Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has made 388 consecutive Cup starts, which is the third-longest active streak behind Joey Logano’s streak of 600 and Brad Keselowski’s streak of 568. Bad news: Stenhouse has only one top-20 finish in his last seven starts at Richmond.

Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: The organization has more wins at Richmond (19) than at any other track. … Joe Gibbs Racing has won 10 of the last 18 Richmond Cup races. … Christopher Bell has eight top-three finishes in 24 races this season. … Bell’s average finish of 7.3 at Richmond is his best among active oval tracks. … Chase Briscoe has had four top-five finishes in the last five races. … Briscoe is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all three short track races this season, placing ninth at Martinsville, fourth at Bristol and second at Iowa. … Denny Hamlin has five wins at Richmond. … Hamlin has finished in the top two in six of the last eight Richmond races. … Hamlin has won three of the last 10 short track races, including this season at Martinsville. … Hamlin has more wins (five) than any other driver on short tracks with the Next Gen car. … Hamlin has led at least a lap in each of the last nine races at Richmond. Bad news: Ty Gibbs has finished outside the top 20 in the last three races. … Christopher Bell has had a speeding penalty in each of the last three races at Richmond. … Briscoe has never scored a top-10 finish in eight Cup starts at Richmond.

Kaulig Racing — Good news: AJ Allmendinger will make his 100th Cup start with Kaulig Racing on Saturday at Richmond. Bad news: Allmendinger has finished 26th or worse in his last seven starts at Richmond. … Ty Dillon has had three consecutive finishes of 28th or worse.

Legacy Motor Club — Good news: Erik Jones’ 12th-place finish at Watkins Glen moved him to within one point of 20th in the season standings. … Jones has seven top-15 finishes in the last 14 races. … John Hunter Nemechek has three top-15 finishes in the last six races. Bad news: Nemechek has not placed better than 25th in three Richmond Cup starts.

Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Austin Dillon won at Richmond last August. … Dillon has placed in the top 10 in two of the last three Richmond races. … Dillon’s last two Cup wins have come in the final three weeks of the playoffs (Daytona in August 2022 and Richmond in August 2024). … Kyle Busch’s six Cup wins at Richmond are the most among active drivers. … Busch’s average finish of 7.6 at Richmond is his best among active ovals. Jesse Love will in the No. 33 car this weekend, making his fifth Cup start of the season. Bad news: Although Busch has 16 Cup short track wins, his most recent victory on that style of track came in April 2019 at Bristol.

Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware’s 29th-place finish at Watkins Glen snapped a streak of four finishes of 32nd or worse. Bad news: Ware has never finished better than 34th in four Richmond Cup starts.

RFK Racing — Good news: Chris Buescher continues to hold the final Cup playoff spot with two races left in there regular season. … All three of Buescher’s top-10 finishes at Richmond, including a win, have come in the last five races there. … Brad Keselowski led a season-high 68 laps in finishing third at Iowa last month in the most recent short track race. … Ryan Preece’s average finish of 10.9 over the past nine races ranks fourth among full-time drivers. … Preece has 11 top-15 finishes in the last 13 races. Bad news: Preece has one top-15 finish in nine career Cup starts at Richmond.

Chris Buescher continues to hold the final playoff spot in Cup with two races left in the regular season.

Spire Motorsports — Good news: Carson Hocevar placed eighth at Richmond last August. Bad news: Justin Haley’s 27th-place finish last weekend at Watkins Glen was his worst result since Nashville in June. … Haley has not finished better than 21st in eight Cup starts at Richmond. … Michael McDowell has one top-10 finish in 27 Cup starts at Richmond.

Tristan McKee wins in his series debut five days after he turned 15 years old.

Team Penske — Good news: Ryan Blaney will make his 350th consecutive Cup start Saturday at Richmond, the fifth-longest active streak in the series (behind Joey Logano at 600, Brad Keselowski at 568, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at 388 and Kyle Busch at 373). … Blaney has scored four consecutive top-10 finishes this season. … Blaney has scored the most points (119) on short tracks this season. Bad news: Richmond is the only oval on the circuit that Blaney does not have a top-five finish. … Austin Cindric does not have a top-10 finish in seven Cup starts at Richmond. … Logano has not finished better than ninth in the last 10 races.

Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Organization placed all three cars in the top 10 for the first time in a race last weekend at Watkins Glen with Shane van Gisbergen winning, Daniel Suarez seventh and Ross Chastain 10th. … Chastain’s finish at Watkins Glen tied for his best result over the past nine races. … Chastain finished fifth at Richmond last August. Bad news: Suarez has placed 25th or worse in five of the last seven races.

Connor Zilisch was injured in a fall from his car in victory lane after winning last weekend’s Xfinity race at Watkins Glen.

Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry’s average finish of 9.0 at Richmond is his best among tracks he’s made multiple starts. … Berry finished second at Richmond in April 2023. .. Berry qualified third at Richmond last August. Bad news: Berry has one top-10 finish since his victory at Las Vegas in March.

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.

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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.