Derek Hagar has enjoyed a successful last couple of weeks that showcased another USCS Series Speedweek win and championship.

Hagar and car owner A.G. Rains dominated the USCS Series Speedweek finale on May 31 at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss. After advancing from fifth to second place in a heat race and from fifth to fourth place in the dash, Hagar charged from fourth to capture the main event – lapping up to third place.

“We had really good speed at Whynot,” he said. “We had a lot of speed in the feature and I was able to take the lead early. I think we lapped almost the whole field. I could go where I wanted to and carry momentum. It felt good to have a dominating performance.”

Hagar won the Speedweek opener and finale with the five races in between all being rained out.

Rain continued to hamper the region last weekend when Hagar and Rains tackled an ASCS National Tour event at Texarkana 67 Speedway on Saturday.

“That was a last-minute deal,” Hagar said. “We didn’t decide until 9:30 that morning whether we were going. The weather was iffy so we decided to give it a shot. We barely beat the weather. It was pouring on us when we got about 15 minutes down the road at the end of the night.”

Hagar qualified sixth quickest in his group to open the program.

“We had the car way too tight,” he said. “I think it was misjudged on my part. It was too buried in the race track and we didn’t put a good lap down for qualifying. We were able to pick up a spot in the heat race and go sixth to fifth to lock into the feature. We made some changes from there. It was better and we were able to get up to sixth in the feature.”

Hagar advanced from 13 th to sixth in the main event for the third-most positions gained.

Hagar and Rains plan to compete this Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., during the 7 th annual Greg Hodnett Memorial.

“It’s a special event,” Hagar said. “It pays really good money and is close to home. We won it in 2022 and picked up a good payday. We have a good car and are steadily learning each time we hit the track. I don’t see any reason why we can’t be a contender.”

QUICK RESULTS –

May 31 – Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss. – Heat race: 2 (5); Dash: 4 (5); Feature: 1 (4).

June 7 – Texarkana 67 Speedway in Texarkana, Ark. – Qualifying: 6; Heat race: 5 (6); Feature: 6 (13).

SEASON STATS –

10 races, 3 wins, 6 top fives, 8 top 10s, 8 top 15s, 8 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark., for the 7 th annual Greg Hodnett Memorial

ILP PR

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin will not go to Mexico if his fiancee hasn’t had the baby by Thursday

Denny Hamlin and Jordan Fish are expecting their third child, their first son. The baby is now weeks overdue.

In the past two weekends, Ryan Truex has been on standby. He was set to jump in the No. 11 car as Hamlin was on baby watch.

Hear from Denny Hamlin below.

Last weekend, Hamlin drove to victory lane at Michigan International Speedway. Hamlin had a plan to get out of the car in the first 50 laps his fiancee went into labor during the race.

NASCAR winner Denny Hamlin had a plan if fiancee went into labor during the Michigan race

This weekend, NASCAR is heading to Mexico City. It will be the first points race for the NASCAR Cup Series outside of the United States.

Hamlin already has a plan…

Denny Hamlin could miss the race in Mexico

“Not yet. He’s very hard headed and stubborn, a lot like his father,” Denny Hamlin said on if he son has been born yet while speaking to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

“If she hasn’t had it by the time I’m suppose to leave for Mexico then I’m not going to go to Mexico. I think that’s the proper thing to do.”

Drivers are set to leave for Mexico on Thursday.

“Really, just letting her call the shots. I think that’s the best thing. When her body and her mind says that it’s time, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Ultimately, I need to be there for her. Just going to make sure I spend the proper time with her and the racing will come second this week.”

Kyle Busch will be allowed to race in Mexico City

In order to qualify for the NASCAR Playoffs, drivers are required to run every points race. However, waivers are given for medical reasons. In this case, NASCAR has stated that Hamlin would receive a playoff waiver.

NASCAR haulers have already crossed the border into Mexico. The teams are traveling together en route to the track.

Logistics for NASCAR haulers heading to Mexico City are insane

Links

Denny Hamlin | Michigan International Speedway | NASCAR

Auburn, CA — One of the best weeks of the year for West Coast sprint car fans is here, as the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series invades the Pacific Northwest for the annual Fastest Five Days in Motorsports, part of the “Road to the Dirt Cup.”

Five consecutive nights of action at as many tracks across two states are on tap, gradually moving north up the I-5 corridor. For most of the tracks, it will represent their only 410 Sprint Car races of the season. All of this is ahead of the $100,026-to-win Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway, June 19-21. 

It all begins Wednesday, June 11 at Southern Oregon Speedway outside of Medford. The next night sees the series visit the Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, followed by a visit to Cottage Grove Speedway, a short drive from Eugene. The final Oregon stop on Saturday, June 14 is Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, near Salem. The final day, Sunday the 15th, sees the NARC sprint cars cross the Columbia River into Washington and head to Elma for the annual Father’s Day Timber Cup at Grays Harbor Raceway.

Drivers from up and down the West Coast have committed to running all or at least part of the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports. And many fans will be traveling with them for the ultimate sprint car “road trip.”

Dominic Scelzi, the two-time NARC champion from Fresno and one of the most popular with Northwest race fans, is among those expecting to compete the entire week, and hoping for some good luck to come his way after some recent difficulties. Scelzi won last year’s Timber Cup at Grays Harbor Raceway, one of his 23 career NARC triumphs, and hopes for more of that in this year’s Fastest Five Days aboard the Gary Scelzi Motorsports No. 41.

Reigning NARC champion Justin Sanders of Aromas has had the very meaning of an “up and down” season but has two NARC victories this season and is a still a threat to win on any given night. The 2024 “King of the West” is coming off a recent Top 5 finish at the Dave Bradway Jr Memorial and wants to stay on the “up” side of things aboard the Mittry Motorsports No. 2x during the Fastest Five Days.

Dominic Gorden of Clovis is riding high with momentum himself aboard the Fortitude Driver Development No. 10, coming off a lucrative victory at the Dave Bradway Jr Memorial. The winner of two NARC events in his short sprint car career, the young driver is hoping that momentum from the Bradway continues, and he adds to his win total during the Fastest Five Days.

One big name arriving in the U.S. this week is Australian superstar James McFadden, who will be piloting the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 entry for the Fastest Five Days and the Dirt Cup at Skagit. McFadden, the winner of 12 World of Outlaws and three High Limit Racing events, was also the winner in January of the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, Australia’s largest sprint car race. Having previously won a NARC event; McFadden is anticipated to immediately compete with the Tarlton team. This team has already experienced success this season with Tanner Holmes as the driver, including securing a NARC victory at Thunderbowl Raceway in May.

Many more drivers from California will be making the trip to the Northwest, including former NARC Rookie of the Year Caeden Steele, who recently won his first NARC feature, and 2025 rookie candidate Mariah Ede, both from the Fresno area, along with former NARC champions DJ Netto of Hanford, Bud Kaeding of Campbell, and Sean Becker of Oroville.

Benicia’s Billy Aton, winner of one NARC feature in his career, is expected also along with a number of drivers who are strong candidates for their first NARC wins, including Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Rio Oso’s Landon Brooks and Tucson’s Nick Parker. Angelique Bell from Sacramento, Redding’s Max Mittry, John Clark of Windsor, and Laton’s Geoffrey Strole are all also expected to join.

NORTHWEST DRIVERS DEFENDING THEIR TURF

Speaking of Tanner Holmes, the young driver from Jacksonville, Oregon has been looking forward to this stretch of races in his home state and region. After racing for the Tarlton team, Holmes will jump into his family’s No. 18T for this week’s races and looks to perform well in front of friends and family. Southern Oregon Speedway will always be a special place to Holmes as last year’s Fastest Five Days opener saw Holmes win his first NARC race. Holmes has won sprint car features at all four of the Oregon tracks NARC is visiting, including already this season at Cottage Grove, and hopes that it translates to more NARC success.

Tyler Thompson, piloting the Main Motorsports No. 35km, is also racing on home soil this week. The Harrisburg, Oregon driver is a former track champion at Cottage Grove Speedway. Chasing NARC Rookie of the Year honors and sitting third in point standings, Thompson is hoping his familiarity with the Oregon tracks can be a spark, as he is one of the drivers pursuing his first NARC feature victory.

It would also surprise absolutely none of the Oregon sprint car fans if Tyler Thompson and Tanner Holmes wound up racing each other with a victory on the line at any of the four races in the Beaver State. Whether it’s in their family cars or racing for others, Thompson and Holmes have always seemed to find themselves racing around each other, going back to their younger days racing limited sprint cars. It’s continued in the 410 ranks as the young men have found themselves racing each other for position multiple times in NARC competition this year.

Drivers from Washington state and British Columbia are expected to venture down for all or part of the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports. One will be Cobble Hill, B.C.’s Robbie Price, a former Dirt Cup winner who won his first NARC race at last year’s Willamette Speedway event.

Jesse Schlotfeldt of Arlington, Washington will be a driver from the Evergreen State to watch. Schlotfeldt is a 410 winner at Skagit this season and also has wins this spring at both Douglas County Dirt Track and Grays Harbor Raceway in non-NARC competition to his credit. Schlotfeldt had indicated his plan to run the entire week and hopes to be a first-time NARC winner sometime during the week.

Levi Klatt from British Columbia, a former Skagit Speedway track champion, has said he will run at least the first three races in Oregon, and depending on how things go sticking around for the last two races are a possibility for him.

Medford, Oregon’s Camden Robustelli, a standout from dwarf cars who has been finding success in limited and 360 sprint cars, has gotten his feet wet in 410 sprint cars and plans to get seat time against the stars of NARC. Robustelli indicated his plans to run at least four Oregon races, but if things go well, he may continue north to Elma for the Timber Cup and to Skagit for Dirt Cup.

Medford’s Blaine Cory, who made his NARC debut at April’s Mini-Gold Cup, is expected to get more seat time against the best of NARC and run the entire week.

Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks, twice a NARC winner in the past and a High Limit Racing winner last year, is anticipated to appear at a couple of races towards the end of the week. Starks is a former NARC winner at Grays Harbor Raceway and already has numerous Skagit Speedway wins this season. While regularly racing Skagit Speedway, Starks is usually a contender wherever he goes and same goes for when he shows up at a NARC race.

FAN INFO

Southern Oregon Speedway – June 11

Wednesday at Southern Oregon Speedway, the pit gate will open at 3:00 pm with the front gate opening at 5:00 pm. Qualifying is scheduled for 6:00 pm and opening ceremonies at 7:00. Tickets can be purchased on the track’s MyRacePass.com page. General admission tickets will be $30, kids ages 6 to 11 are in for $15, or a family pass for two adults and three kids can be purchased for $90.

Southern Oregon Speedway is located at 6900 Kershaw Rd, White City, Oregon 97502. For more information, visit http://www.southernoregonmotorsports.com/ or call 458-220-6272.

Douglas County Dirt Track – June 12

Thursday at the Douglas County Dirt Track, the pit gate opens at 2:00 pm and the front gates at 4:00 pm. Hot laps are at 6:00 pm with racing following at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased on the track’s MyRacePass.com page. Adult general admission will be $30, with seniors 55+, military and kids aged 12 to 15 getting in for $25. Kids ages 6 to 11 will be admitted for just $5.

The racetrack is located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds Complex at 2110 SW Frear Street, Roseburg, OR  97471. For more information, log on to www.douglascountydt.com.

Cottage Grove Speedway – June 13

Friday at Cottage Grove Speedway, pit gates open at 2:00 pm and front gates at 4:30 pm, with hot laps at 6:00 pm and racing to begin around 7:00 pm. General admission tickets will be $35, while Seniors 62 and older, military, and kids ages 13 to 17 are in for $30. Kids aged 6 to 12 get in for $10, and children five and Under are FREE. Family passes for two adults and four kids can be purchased for $80. Tickets will be sold at the front gate or online on MyRacePass.com.

Cottage Grove Speedway is located at 2150 N Douglas Avenue, Cottage Grove, OR, 97424. For folks with transports, RVs, or camping trailers, please avoid using the railroad trestle bridge on Highway 99, as you will not have enough clearance to navigate underneath it. For more information, visit www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call 541-942-7561.

Willamette Speedway – June 14

On Saturday at Willamette Speedway, the pit gate will open at 1:00 pm with the grandstands opening at 4:00 pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 4:30 pm with racing at 6:00 pm. Teams are welcome to stay in the pits. Fan camping is permitted on the grounds. Adult tickets will be $45. Seniors, military, and kids ages 13 to 17 will be admitted for $35. Younger kids are in for $20, and a family pass can be purchased for $130. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or on MyRacePass.com.

Willamette Speedway is located at 36606 Airport Dr, Lebanon, Oregon 97355. For more information, visit http://www.trophymotorsports.com/ or send an email to willamettespeedway@hotmail.com.

Grays Harbor Raceway – June 15

Sunday at Grays Harbor Raceway, the pit gate will open at 2:00 pm with grandstands opening at 4:00 pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 5:00 pm with racing following at 6:00 pm. Adult general admission is $28 with seniors, military, and kids ages 7 to 17 in for $24. Kids six and under are in for only $5. Tickets can be purchased at the track or online at MyRacePass.com.

Grays Harbor Raceway is located at 30 Elma McCleary Rd, Elma, Washington 98541. For more information, visit https://www.graysharborraceway.com/ or call 360-482-4374.

Each night features qualifying, up to four 8-lap heat races, a six-lap trophy dash and a main event (30 laps at the four Oregon tracks and 25 at Grays Harbor). The Northwest Focus Midget Series will be NARC’s companions at each of the Oregon races, while IMCA modifieds will be the support class at Grays Harbor.

UPCOMING NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE 

June 11 – Southern Oregon Speedway – Medford, OR

June 12 – Douglas County Dirt Track – Roseburg, OR

June 13 – Cottage Grove Speedway – Cottage Grove, OR

June 14 – Willamette Speedway – Lebanon, OR

June 15 – Grays Harbor Raceway – Elma, WA (Father’s Day Timber Cup)

June 19, 20 & 21 – Skagit Speedway – Burlington, WA ($100,026-to-win Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup)

When NASCAR heads to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for a historic race in Mexico City this weekend, the 39-car Xfinity Series field will feature three Mexican drivers.

It was previously announced that Cup Series star Daniel Suarez will drive for JR Motorsports in the No. 9 Chevrolet, while Truck Series regular and 2024 ARCA champion Andres Perez De Lara will make his debut in the No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet

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But in a late addition to the entry list, Rubén Rovelo will take part in the event on Saturday, June 14. Rovelo will be driving the No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet, making his first start in any of the three national levels of the sport. Despite this being his Xfinity debut, his name is one the local crowd will know well.

He will be sponsored by Agua Skarch, which is a bottled water brand available in Mexico. This will be the highest number of Mexican-born drivers in any NASCAR Xfinity Series race since 2008 when five Mexican drivers entered the last race in Mexico City.

Rovelo is a veteran of the NASCAR Mexico Series, winning the 2020 championship and earning 26 career wins. The 37-year-old has 175 starts in that series between 2008 and 2024, and along with his 2020 title, Rovelo spent six consecutive years in the top five in points.

Read Also:

Full entry list for NASCAR’s Mexico City race weekend revealed

Daniel Suarez supports NASCAR decision to use a podium for Mexico City race

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

When you think of the history and the legends of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, you think of the Unser family. Three generations of Unsers have earned 26 overall wins at The Race to the Clouds, and now a fourth-generation Unser, Loni, is looking to make her mark on the Colorado mountain, too. As she gets ready to ascend the 14,110ft peak for a fourth time on June 22, Loni joins the RACER Debrief to talk about her journey to racing at Pikes Peak, her 2025 program with BBI, Mobil 1 and Porsche, and the challenge of taking on one of motorsports’ most memorable and unique events.

Watch Pikes Peak on the RACER Network and the RACER+ app live on June 22.

CONCORD N.C. – Want an interesting fact you might not know? Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at inaugural points-paying events in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Across the 41 tracks that the tour has raced at in the modern era, no other team has as many wins as Hendrick Motorsports does on brand new circuits during points-paying events. With the Cup Series landing in Mexico for the first time this weekend, each of the four Hendrick Motorsport drivers will be looking to add another win to that total.

Since 1972, the organization has collected six points-paying wins at inaugural racetracks across the Cup Series. Those tracks include Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Auto Cub Speedway, Kansas Speedway, the Daytona Road Course, Circuit of the Americas and Nashville Superspeedway.

Jeff Gordon is credited with the first three inaugural wins for Hendrick Motorsports, starting with the first Brickyard 400 in 1994 at Indianapolis The eventual five-time winner of the event took home his first after holding off a charging Brett Bodine in the closing stages of the race.

RELATED: From Winner to Champion, Part 4: Execution, evolution and some radio magic

Gordon also scored the organization’s second inaugural win in 1997 at Auto Club Speedway. The California native got a chance to impress his home crowd when he cruised to victory with a sizeable gap between him and second place. Coincidentally, he started third in both this race and the previously mentioned ’94 Brickyard 400.

Gordon’s last inaugural track win for Rick Hendrick would come in 2001 at Kansas Speedway. Multiple cautions restacked and shuffled the field during the final stages of the race in America’s heartland. Despite the chaos around him, Gordon kept his foot to the floor and found himself in victory lane at the end of the race.

Jeff Gordon captures the first Kansas Speedway trophy at the 2001 race in Kansas

Chase Elliott picked up the mantle 19 years later when he won the first ever race at the Daytona Road Course. With the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling Watkins Glen International’s date on the calendar, the Cup Series ventured into the inner circuit of Daytona International Speedway to fill the road course void. 

Just like Gordon at Kansas, Elliott was tasked with holding off the field on a restart with three laps remaining in the event. Once the green flag flew, he did not look back and stayed ahead of the pack to win his second of five wins that season.

RELATED: Hendrick Motorsports completes 400 miles at Michigan

Elliott mastered the twists and turns of Circuit of The Americas that following year to get another inaugural race win for Hendrick Motorsports. Not only was it the first time the Cup Series ran at COTA, but it was also the first time the Cup Series ran at COTA… in the rain.

Heavy rain caused poor visibility, hard crashes, single-file restarts, and eventually a shortened race distance. Despite the challenges, Elliott kept his car afloat and won the first ever Cup race at COTA.

Hendrick Motorsports’ most recent inaugural Cup Series win came that same year, thanks to Kyle Larson at Nashville Superspeedway. While the lower divisions had visited the 1.3-mile oval occasionally since 2011, the Cup Series had never competed on the low-banked concrete track before. 

Even with plenty of unknowns, Larson showed off his driving prowess by dominating the race and cruised to a comfortable win in Music City.

This weekend’s race in Mexico City provides another shot at winning an inaugural event. You can watch all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers aim to achieve this goal on Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m. on Prime Video.